Paper Moon
by cluekitty
Summary: She was fragile, flammable, vulnerable like a Paper Moon alone in the sky. The practical opposite of any vampire he’d ever heard of. SasuHina
1. Blood will have Blood

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"It will have blood, they say; blood will have blood."

William Shakespeare

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The moon floated fat and bloated in the obsidian sky. It's size was grotesque, the face cracked and creviced with age and trauma. A shadow of a crack, of a void of a shadow lit up it's face like a mischievous grin as it watched the ever sprawling city of Konoha, and it's inhabitants, racing to and fore without direction or true purpose, like bees crawling to and forth from the hive.

Like a pervert, it watched, unable to tear away it's gaze away as two teenagers tore at one another, their limbs entangled as their mouths fought for dominance.

The male ran his pale and thin fingers down the side of her thin little neck, instinctively searching for her jugular vein with it's distinctive throbbing pulse. He found it, and still stroking, marking it, he licked downward, her chin angled upwards in a gesture of surrender.

Her last breath was laboured and heavy.

He sank his fangs into her neck, breaking her pearl necklace with immense momentum. For a moment her eyes opened, widened like a deer's who had just realised just what those beautiful shining lights belonged to. Her mouth almost widened to scream, but didn't, her muscles unable to combat the painful neurone-toxins, that immobilised her nerves, making it impossible for her to struggle. Or to scream for the rest of the world to hear.

He drank his fill, the girl immobilised and half-dead. After all, it only took a matter of minutes after a major artery or vein was cut into before you lost too much blood. The jugular vein transported blood from the brain. Even if she did survive, it was unlikely she wouldn't be severely brain damaged.

He hadn't drunk that much. After all, he wasn't really that hungry to begin with. He ought to have some fun after all, what would be the point of being here in the first place, if not for fun?

Although if she had come here for fun, he was afraid he had disappointed her very much.

He ripped open her neck, cascading blood in a reassuring manner over the park bench, but more importantly, hiding the bite-marks that would fuel paranoia. Then he tore her clothing, leaving her pale, scratched torso open to the cold midnight air. Deciding that this was all fair for the night, her left her dead on the park bench.

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"Sasuke-kun, we're over here!" Waved the pink haired Sakura, almost giggling as she spoke. Beside her sat Naruto, who glowered with envy as Sakura showered her affections on Sasuke in the middle of the inner-city café.

"Iiiieeeee! Sasuke, you're wearing them! And look, they're so worn, you must really like them, huh?" squealed Sakura, hugging her arms to her flat chest.

Sasuke almost looked for what on earth she was talking about, before he realised the huge mistake he had made. He was wearing his favourite, original pair of converses, which were red and black, and wonderfully scruffy from all the times Sasuke had worn them.

But unfortunately he could never confess to loving his shoes. One reason would be the fact that Sakura had actually brought them for him, probably at a large price. If he ever wore them in her presence, it was a taken must that as he was wearing clothing she had brought for him, he was secretly confessing his love to her, through silent signs. How painfully romantic. There was also the fact that professing love for an item of clothing was a silly, silly thing to do, and not someone as stoic as Sasuke could ever claim to have experienced.

"It's not a big deal Sakura, he's probably just like me, you know, shoving shoes on, hoping to get a matching pair every once it a while, don't like, make a big deal out if everything, you know?"

"Shut up, you idiot" screamed Sakura, her scarily aggressive side taking possession of her body as she hit Naruto senseless.

"Know something Sakura…I think you ought to listen to Naruto more, he has great wisdom sometimes," Sasuke intoned

Sakura looked shocked whist Naruto looked triumphant. "Are you serious?"

"No," Sasuke smirked.

"Hey, why are we waiting here? I wanna go check out the new jeans store in the mall, you two coming?" Whined an impatient Naruto, his lips pursing and forming a pout.

"Look we're waiting for one of my new friends from LL, you know how hard it is for me to make friends there…" Sakura paused, "Most of the girls are so conceited, it's hard finding nice people, and… since I'm out of Konoha High, even though I still want to be cool with you two, I want to have some friends. Preferably female, since you two lack two lack the mental capacity to understand females,"

Sakura had left Konoha High. It was understandable though. LL, or Leaf Ladies Finishing School was a fantastic school, though the prices were gargantuan. Sakura had excelled so much in her end of term paper last year, she had been given a scholarship, and even though she had her two best buddies, Sasuke and Naruto, who had been in the same class since reception, she could hardly refuse an offer like that.

Naruto had wished her luck, and told her to never, never give up (especially not on him). Sasuke had just simply remarked that she would have been a sure drop-out had the test been on common-sense, after all, this was the girl who was terrified of paper cuts.

"I hope we can like, still be friends" remarked the blond.

"Hn," agreed Sasuke.

Sakura smiled at the two, this happy and peaceful memory being stored into a scrap-book of personal moments. Of course, Naruto had to ruin it. "So Sakura-chan, is this friend of yours hot?"

"Damn it!" screamed Sakura as she smashed Naruto's head into the table. Then she sat down again. "I don't know why she's late, she's quite punctual, and not from one of the clichés that would send someone to stand me up, being a charity case and all, she's nice, rich family and all, but she doesn't act like a snob, like some of the bitches at school,"

"Yeah, but is she hot?"

"Shut-up Naruto," Warned Sakura.

"Ano, Sakura-San!" was quietly shouted, across the room which Sasuke had previously thought was an impossible mixture.

They all turned to face the girl as she crossed the busy coffee shop, scooting around tables and trying not to bump into anyone.

Then she bowed very deeply, her hair almost touching the ground. "I'm so s-sorry I have inconvenienced you for such a long time, please accept my a-apology, Sakura-San,"

"…It's okay Hinata…um, this blond to my left, here, is Uzamaki Naruto, and then to my left, Uchiha Sasuke, they are old friends of mine," Sakura smiled.

Hinata stood upright, flushing red, "I'm awfully sorry", and gingerly smiled at the two boys., who both studied her features with a critical eye. She was petite, but voluptuous, not exactly fat, but not exactly thin either. Her hair was long and beautifully maintained as it glimmered in the café lighting, so black it was almost a navy blue.

Her chin was pointed, her mouth was startlingly pink, and only what could be called a cupid's bow, twisted into a small smile, her fulcrum was delicate, like it was shaded by an artist, her cheeks rounded, and almost painted pink like a little glass dolls. Placed in the middle of her head was a button nose, slightly upturned, something that would have looked odd anywhere else, but on her face it was natural. She was unusually pale too. Then Sasuke saw her eyes.

Her eyes were a creamy milk colour, he wouldn't have hesitated before he had seen her walk across the café so concerned with her proximity to every single person, to say she must have been blind. But there was something more. She had looked at Sasuke, and had just passed him over, preferring to attack Naruto with a slightly disconcerting gaze. Naruto hadn't even noticed yet as he was still looking at her breasts, though you could hardly see anything under the baggy clothing she wore, they were rather large.

"May I sit down Sakura-san?" asked Hinata ever so politely.

"Uh, feel free," answered Sakura, unused to having to order anyone (bar Naruto) about.

She sat at the last seat, which happened to sandwich her between Naruto and Sasuke. She moved past Sasuke, painfully aware of their closeness and his presence within her personal bubble. "A-ano, I am pleasured to meet you both. I am Hyuga Hinata," she whispered, making everyone else lower their own conversations just to hear what she was whispering.

"Ano…I guess, I've never really done this before…Um, I enjoy c-cooking and pressing flowers, especially when I have time-e to do such things with my youn-nger sister, Hanabi. She'll be a teenager soon though, and I think s-she'll grow out of me, how about yourselves?"

Sakura giggled, "I think we've talked enough to know each other by now,"

"Well I'm Naruto, as Sakura said, I guess I'm what you call loud and boisterous," Sasuke and Sakura shared the urge to hit him. "I love noise so I reckon I ought to start an amazing band, and be like wow. I'm also like a really good snowboarder, it's like awesome. My current concern is surviving school without Sakura-chan, but I reckon that if Sasuke lets me copy off him, I'll be fine,"

Now everyone turned to Sasuke in an expectant phrase. "I'm Sasuke… who didn't really continue due to the fact that Hinata was fawning over Naruto.

And Sasuke was jealous, although he wouldn't really admit to it. When Sakura had suggested going out with a new friend, Sasuke had expected another fan-girl who would give Sasuke too much attention, and then Sakura would never ask her out again, such was the problems with trying to get new friends whilst being ferociously preoccupied with one handsome man, who just rejected any advance.

But Hinata had just looked over him like he was a looser. And then she had looked at Naruto. Obviously there was something very wrong with the poor girl.

Perhaps she was blind after all.

"Hey, since we are all here, let me get some drinks, what stuff do you want guys? Interrupted Sakura.

"I'll just have some orange juice, I'm not fussy on caffeine.," Answered Naruto.

"I-I'll have a latte with extra sugar please, - I can pay y-you back Sakura," came Hinata's voice, so melodic like an instrument, Sasuke wondered if she sang.

"Oh my Gosh, I have the same thing too! Don't worry, it's my treat, I'm not as poor as you all think I am!" Sakura laughed, glad that she and this strange girl had some more common ground to talk about later.

Sasuke butted into her tirade, feeling oddly obnoxious, perhaps due to the lack of attention he usually commanded. "I'll have an espresso,"

"Want sugar with that Sasuke-San?"

"I hate sweet things,"

"-Hai," Sakura got up and left the table, leaving Hinata with Naruto and Sasuke.

"Where do you snowboard Uzamaki-San?" Came the tiny voice of Hinata

"Ah, I've been to France, but I love Switzerland at the moment, I want to go back because it's all like so pretty,"

Sasuke felt utterly dejected, sitting beside the two as Hinata poked her fingers and blushed.

"I-I've skied in Austria, the slopes are really amazing, you ought to go out there one day I-f you enjoy the pleasures of snowboarding,"

"You've Skied?" interjected Sasuke.

"Yes , I ski," Then her attention went back to Naruto. "I…guess I lived out there for a while, so I got quite good, though I'll never compete, I haven't got the nature to do so, my cousin's out there at the moment, he's so very competitive,"

"Cool, I didn't realise Sakura had made such a cool new friend,"

Sasuke could see Naruto was bathing in this newly found attention.

"Ah, Uzamaki-san-"

"Naruto, we don't tend to use the stupid name endings here."

She smiled, white teeth resonating from her mouth, Sasuke could see how white they were when overshadowed from the cupid's bow of her pink lace mouth.

Then Naruto enveloped her in a bear hug, surrounding her with his large cumbersome arms. "Ah, you're quite cute Hinata! I'm glad we can be friends!"

Hinata froze, then jumped out of his embrace, shielding her mouth with her hand. "Ow," She paused thinking for an excuse. "I think I've bumped my tooth, please, please excuse me,"

She bowed to the two of them and ran to the bathroom

Sasuke's eyes widened when he saw a tiny stream of blood running down her chin, all too unpleasantly reminded of another unfortunate occurrence.

"Ahh, think I was too quick to act?"

"Idiot," Sasuke hissed, and went up to follow her, watching her disappear into the bathroom. He was worried that she was hurt. He couldn't stand it when someone bled, the knowledge nagged him that something would happen, something bad. He didn't like it at all when someone bled.

If it was a bruise, it didn't matter, but blood was different. He could control it better, a drop of blood didn't have him in hysterics, he only carried a box of plasters in his box, not the full blown first aid kit he used to lug around, discretely hidden in a bag.

But he couldn't stand the knowledge that someone, someone in the immediate vicinity was in physical pain, because then he felt sick. So he had to check, instead of being nonchalant and not caring what the silly bitch had done.

After all, perhaps she was trying to conceal a nosebleed caused by the dumb blond.

He tapped on the bathroom, no reply. The door wasn't even locked, so he just came in, but there she was, blood dripping from her ribbon lace mouth like tendrils. And her teeth were so pointed and white against the blood.

Hyuga Hinata had fangs.

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_*Note from Clue *_

I thought I ought to try Vampires as a new topic, but try to stay away from to many conventions, or for that matter, the sparkly vampires of Stephanie Meyer Fandom, (Please don't hate me for my opinions), Anyway, this is more of a preview to see if anyone is actually interested in a new SasuHina vampire romance, as I think there is allready a large one on fanfiction at the moment, _"In search of Eden"_? I think, so, you know, I just want to see if anyone is interested, Thank you very much for reading anyhow ^-^


	2. I'm not Scared

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I'm not afraid of werewolves or vampires or haunted hotels, I'm afraid of what real human beings to do other real human beings.

_Walter Jon Williams_

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Hinata was attracted to him, he smelt so hormonal she had just wanted to get closer and closer to him. It was almost like fox, a snow fox even, but it wasn't a bad smell, it was tantalising, stroking her taste buds because she could taste it in her mouth. It was sensual, almost sexual, mixed with his Lynx body wash and the soft sweat ( He must have ran to the coffee shop). Then she could pick up the peppermint toothpaste, she couldn't tell the brand, after all, most peppermint toothpaste smelt the same.

And then he had an energy field that shook her to the core.

Even the air around him resonated with energy vibrating the air molecules into a flurry, like an invisible heat.

It was almost barbaric, the things she was thinking about just because he was attracting her so badly, now she was out of that trance, she wondered what that exactly was, even if he knew . But she had better things to worry about. Namely the fact that his ignorant friend, who had just witnessed the entire accident was now looking at her with horror and dread.

First he did a double take, then he almost turned and ran, and then, he thought the better for it, turning to face her with a bewildered, wary, but…almost concerned look.

"Look…I came to…see if you were all right…You're not going try anything are you?"

Hinata shook her head, almost sending a splatter of blood in his direction. He still looked confused. "What's with the fangs?"

She tilted her head, looking down on the mortal and seeing nothing but a shell of a person. Something that made her wearisome of this man, because, after all, if a person had no real feeling, why would they waste the effort to care for others who still retained their last shards of humanity? Or for that matter, protected them with a ferocity.

She could kill him here and now if she felt like it. She could kill everyone here, and tell her father that she was covering her own tracks, and he would probably disrespect that decision, and tell her she shouldn't have messed up in the first place.

But then Hinata would have lost her first human friend she had had in the last decade, which was an awfully long time. After all, all that had happened the last time she had kept a friend, everything had gone wrong, in a very literal sense. Sakura was nice, perky, fun, and Hinata thought they both needed one another at LL, though for different reasons.

Hinata wanted to be around her, but it was, well, jarring in the knowledge that each time Hinata saw her, Sakura aged. Whether it was a weekend, a night, one lunch period, Hinata could sense the change in Sakura, a new spot becoming more prominent, her hair growing longer, her nails, even to the point where she could sense how many hairs were growing on her head, and how many had fallen out.

That was why she tried to keep her distance from any girls at school. It wasn't funny how sensitive Hinata was to the rest of the world, whilst the rest of the family were extraordinarily thick skinned. It was like nobody really understood the feelings she experienced.

But she needed, and had come to acknowledge the fact that she did need a companion. As long as her family didn't bother about her having a human friend, It was nothing to worry about. And Hinata could sense Sakura needed an ally against the awful, spoilt girls at LL. Sakura had a bright future ahead of her, she had a good attitude, and she was clever. Hinata could stand in as a friend.

But now she had to stand peacefully with the older friends, or as Hinata really thought of the two, the "in laws".

A hair had fallen out of Uchiha-san's head whilst she had seen him last. He was a shell, but he was refilling upwards again, creating another persona. She decided to give him a chance to become a higher status in her eyes.

"I'm s-so sorry, I-I got to close… my fangs came out…I've ripped a part of my lip" , she showed him her lip, it's pink texture overshadowed by the maroon red blood spilling from a puncture.

"Right." He replied with authority, still looking at her fangs. He furrowed his brow, fighting with himself.

"Whatever you're going to say, you'd better be o-off saying it Uchiha-san"

"Hn… are you a vampire?"

"Eto, yes,"

"Do you mean any harm to the two of them, Sakura, Naruto?"

"Ano…I never meant harm to them, but Naruto… he's irresistible! I blush and I poke my fingers, and, oh, I'm getting hot and flustered just thinking about the entire thing," Hinata looked away, blushing ferociously, thinking of the incident.

"Well, that's a first,"

"Hn?" She tilted her head sideways, like a doll with huge emotional eyes.

"It's the first time a girl has liked the idiot. Of course, you're a vampire, so there has to be something wrong with you," he smirked, almost looking at her dubiously before rigidly correcting himself.

"I think Sakura-san likes him…" Sasuke looked at her oddly, "She's developed feelings for him, it's obvious, she wouldn't hit him like that otherwise-she has to care somewhat about him, to put that effort into hurting him. It's that simple…"

"Doesn't she like me though," he put to her bluntly.

"Yes… but I sense that she's grown fearful of rejection. Especially from you, and Uzamaki-San would happily spend his loveon her, whist you would be cold, unresponsive to her, It would be like loving a statue… like the Greek myth, hn?"

"And you've picked that up from two minutes of our company?"

"Some of it I have gleamed from Sakura-san, she really cares and talks about you both, most of the other details are precise and right, yes, it's a skill,"

He sighed, long and grumbling whilst she smiled happily, forgetting the flow of blood dripping down her chin, and the sharp curve of the white fangs, that were pointing downwards in a sadistic twist, irritating, and not that he would ever say, creeping him out "How do we get rid of the fangs?"

"I could drink some blood,"

"Oh, Should I have to volunteer?" He asked, his brow twisting into a sadistic smirk and his ego unfurled it's rather large wings.

"No- I'm o-on the pill,"

"…This comes into the conversation how?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, please, please don't take offence," she bowed again and again. "It's a blood pill, a blood pill, Uchiha-San! A blood-pill,"

The dark haired boy glowered under his ebony bangs. "Please, Uchiha-San, could you do a favour for me, please?

Sasuke almost considered saying no to see her heart shaped face loose it's pretty charm he was sure she was employing. "My pills are in my bag, on the seat I left, please, could you bring my bag to me…"

He shrugged and left, and went down to where Sakura and Naruto were having a conversation about Kakashi's Biology skills, and the Biology teacher at LL, Tsunade-sama, who was also headmistress, who had told Sakura she had the smarts to become a doctor.

Well, least Sakura didn't have to worry about career choices then.

"Oh my Gosh, is Hinata okay Sasuke?"

"Tell her I'm like, really sorry,"

"Its just a knocked tooth, neither of you should really bother to worry, since it's such a pathetic injury in it's own sense,"

"…Why are you taking her bag?" Asked Naruto

"She's got pills for pain relief,"

"Oh right," Naruto looked dense again, and in front of Sakura too. Sasuke couldn't prevent the thought that Naruto kept on repeating the same beginners mistakes over and over again, and refused to learn any lessons.

Which was a pity, because maybe Naruto and Sakura could work out. He wasn't the cleverest guy, but she was the cleverest girl, and where she lacked in physique, Naruto was fit enough to provide reparations. They were both loud, opinionated people, who clashed every time they were together. -But it never got old. And for Sasuke, it was quite entertaining when they did clash, and ruffle one another's feathers, just for the comical value of their faces.

But sometimes…it was like he was wasting his life with these two. He didn't know what to do, his layout of the world had once been so simple, that he had wanted to be a police officer. Now, he didn't know. His phobia, which bordered on borderline obsession with blood, almost made him want to do something like forensic science, or even a detective, which linked into the police officer dream.

But Sasuke doubted he could stand that, knowing the awful things that happened all too often, all too well. He become consumed by that job, paranoid and enthralled by what he would be doing everyday.

He didn't like to think about it, and chucked the stupid tote bag at her, dishing out his anger on her.

"Thank you very m-much," her tongue tripping over herself in her rush to express herself. She pulled out a pill, and Sasuke visibly blanched looking at it.

It was just about that shape of a peanut and that size too, and Sasuke couldn't imagine trying to swallow it, just imagining the pain of that pill jammed down his throat was enough to make him gag.

It was also red, and transparent, reminding him that it was, indeed, a blood pill, and a very apt name at that.

He waited for her to swallow it, expecting her to cup her hands for some water, and swallow it like that. Instead she bit into it, sucking it dry and her eyes crinkled into some twisted display of enjoyment. An off spurt flew onto her cheek, staining her face.

Then, once it was totally dry, she slit it open with a fingernail, an lapped it up, and then noticing the wetness of the blood on her cheek, with a finger, dabbed the blood of her cheek, popping it into that petite mouth, sucking it with enjoyment, looking as innocent a child with a lollipop.

It was a good thing that they were in the toilet, because Sasuke was violently sick, unable to prevent the splurge of acidic stomach content from rising up his mouth like a piston pumping out the bile from his body.

"Ano, Uchiha-San, you don't enjoy the sight of blood, yes?" As giggles fell uncensored from her mouth, her fangs receding in size.

Between retches, he found his sarcastic reply," No duh"

Admittedly, he could have done much better, but it had the correct response to make the girl blush and apologise. "Can we get out of here?" he muttered darkly.

"Of course Uchiha-San, where do you want to go?"

"Home," he murmured, still recovering from vomiting so badly.

"Ano…"

"What?" He snapped, moody and exhausted.

"Do we have to say goodbye to Sakura-San, and well…Uzumaki-San, I mean…it would be impolite…and I don't know whether I can control myself…"

"Neither of them have bothered to check you are okay, since they are too busy arguing with each other, Don't bother, just use my phone to say I'm talking you home,"

"Oh ok," He handed her the iPhone, their hands almost touching for a second as she twisted her wrist to catch the falling headphones. She tapped the screen, confident in her abilities, only to falter, her face twisted with worry. Weren't phones supposed to be easy to use? Why wouldn't the thing do anything?

And she couldn't really consider talking to Sasuke because he would think she was stupid. And then he was heaving again, trying to bring up more food whilst in reality his stomach was empty, and he was just spitting out saliva. Ah, such lovely human things.

She tapped her finger on the screen again, expecting another response. It had to be on, there was light emanating from the screen. She felt round the edges, looking for a pullout touchpad that as she was aware of, often came with these contraptions.

Then she felt the black eyes of the Uchiha by the toilet bore into her back, and the all too familiar sarcastic and sadistic smirk burned into the back of her head, awakening that slumbering blush.

"You do realise you unlock it… switch on the top…" His voice was filled with animosity, like she was a lesser form of life due to her lack of interaction with technology.

Hinata hid her face behind her bangs to hide her heated face at making such a elementary mistake. "I knew that!" she squeaked.

Sasuke would have made a derogatory comment, but he retched and went back to trying to throw up.

For a moment Hinata looked at him, almost admiring his face, which was pale and tinted with grey, matching his ebony hair, which glinted and gleamed under the flickering toilet light. As if sensing her lilac eyes resting on his head he turned, bags developing under bloodstained eyes. His pupils were unidentifiable against his black eyes, but they were empty.

Normally when Hinata saw someone she could identify the best things about them, the most beautiful parts jumped to attention, like Sakura's flyaway candyfloss hair, it's wisps floating in the air, or Naruto's cerulean blue eyes, so present on his face, or his birth-mark whiskers, or his nose, or…well, she was starting to get carried away. But Sasuke was so evenly beautiful, even when sick, his presence was… ugly.

Well to her it was, but considering her condition and hyper-sensitivity, that wasn't surprising. To anyone normal they would have found him utterly handsome. No wonder Sakura was dragging her feet on the path to Naruto when Sasuke sat on the layside.

Sasuke stared at her , wondering why she didn't blush like any other girl, but instead frowned a little, or rather pulled her smile downwards in a display of displeasure. She twisted her head around, whipping the air with her hair.

She managed to find the number on a list that automatically came up by accident.

"Moshi Moshi! Sakura isn't here at the moment! If you've got something to say, talk to the machine, after all, machines need love too, Kyaaa!"

"Oh, oh, Hinata-San here, Sasuke isn't feeling wel-argh!" He wrangled the phone off of her, his hand slightly wet, which Hinata decided it would be better not to wonder how.

"Hinata's not well, I'm taking her home," Said Sasuke, ending the message in a rough and hoarse voice, his throat tight and sore.

"Why did you take the phone!?" Asked Hinata, her voice high pitched and almost squeaking.

"Never show weakness willingly, It's pathetic," He grumbled.

Hinata was sure if he would grant her a few more seconds she could think of a perfect comment, but Sasuke grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her out, sneaking through the café, as Naruto and Sakura were preoccupied.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!"

"I SAID TICKLE! TICKLE SAKURA-CH-"

"YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO JIGGLE ME WHERE!"

"SAKURA-CHAN NO!"

Sasuke almost sighed before constraining himself. "You shouldn't bottle up emotions, like that…even you must have some kind of outlet," Hinataspoke, the words almost hitting a nerve as they walked out, into the street.

"I'm not taking advice from a bloody vampire," He sniped back.

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*Note From Clue*

Thank you very much for the kind reviews, it really gets me going when people are as kind to say something in return, especially If they are a bit critical. I've made this chapter a little less serious to try and improve the tone, and I think I like Sasuke when he isn't feeling well :) I'm also trying out a bit of NaruSaku in the background, but It won't be prominent (So don't worry if you hate it, I won't make a big deal out of the entire thing.)

Oh, and I've had hysterics when I thought this guy said he wanted to tickle/jiggle me, and the first time I tried using an iPhone, instead of calling my Dad, I ended up playying an app for at least half an hour :) Real life stuff, see~

Thanks for reading!


	3. Gnat or Girl

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Girls blush, sometimes, because they are alive, half wishing they were dead to save the shame. The sudden blush devours them, neck and brow; They have drawn too near the fire of life, like gnats, and flare up bodily, wings and all. What then? Who's sorry for a gnat or girl?

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

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They went on the bus as Sasuke was too shaky to walk home and Hinata, who had gotten a lift in with her father on the way to her sister's ice skating lesson. They both lived in the same district, several streets away.

He refused to talk to her on the bus, preferring to stuff his ears with his headphones and play obnoxiously loud rock music, which Hinata didn't know the name of, but she was certain her cousin, Neji, would know.

They got off at the same station, and she found herself apologising to the driver for Sasuke's refusal to say thank you before being yanked off by Sasuke's hand snaking around hers, And then dropping it.

She found herself following him like a puppy up to his apartment simply because she couldn't really leave him because if he fell he could fall badly and his human life could be extinguished. He lived in an apartment block, which was rather upmarket, but she lived in a slightly more expensive street, in a high market town house, so she found herself wondering what it must be like living in a place full of people.

It wasn't that bad, judging from the condition of the elevator, and the fact there was a doorman in a red costume who nodded to the two, recognising Sasuke's appearance even though he was so haggard and grey.

The walls were wallpapered with tasteful designs and there were well kept potted plants in lonesome corners and the floor was made out of well made carpet. As Sasuke's door slammed in her face, she noticed that the door was made out of a fantastic piece of oak, and the brass number, six, was very finely crafted.

She turned to leave for the lift, feeling fairly disconcerted that Sakura would list this man as one of her friends. The door creaked behind her, revealing one bloodshot eye.

"Why aren't you dead?" He asked

"Uh, P-pardon?"

"Shouldn't you burn up in sunlight?"

"Well…"She turned to check nobody else was in the corridor. "I'm very sensitive to sunlight, I w-wear UV protection pretty much all the time, I only spend so many hours outside, eight maximum, and that's with reapplying protection otherwise I blister, and g-go red. When we were in Austria, we always night-skied, the days were allwa-y-ys so bright, though when it was really snowing, we went out then,"

"Hn,"

"I-is that all Uchiha-San?"

"How did you become a v-"

"Well hello…" A grey haired man burst from the lifts, his one visible eye glinting between the skin-tight tight mask and his wild hair. "Sasuke and a girl…I never thought I'd see the day,"

Hinata began to blush furiously, making Kakashi jump immediately to the first conclusion, his eyes sparking as he darted between the two teens.

"Do come in, I must meet this lovely lady,"

"N-no I-It's n-not-"

"I'm not…" But Kakashi pushed her in the apartment oblivious to Sasuke's and Hinata's protests. Whipping her head around, she could see the apartment was spacious, if not regal. Kakashi led her into the lounge.

"So who are you, and what is your intention towards Sasuke?"

"O-o-oh, I'm…well, Hi-Hinata-a-"

"You're being stupid," muttered Sasuke darkly, who then sauntered off, probably in the direct direction of the toilet because of his unsettled stomach.

"Well that leaves us alone, Hinata-Chan," Smiled Kakashi,

"Oh, I-it's not h-how you think Uchiha-Sama, I-" She was interrupted by his laughter,

"I'm just his guardian actually, and biology teacher through some twisted sense of logic, And I think you don't know Sasuke at all,"

"Eto, I wouldn't sir, I just b-brought him home b-because he was I-ill, I'm one o-of Sakura's friends from LL, and I ended up t-taking him home, Sir," He smiled again, his lips visible through the mask. But Hinata could already tell he was judging her to be a spoilt little girl Sasuke had picked up because she was rich.

She could also tell that the relationship between the two was too strained, maybe when she went they would have an argument? Or maybe a lecture? And there was the fact that Kakashi wasn't worried by Sasuke's illness.

Now there was a tense silence. "Ano, I'm sorry sir for did-turbing you, but really, I mu-ust go, I believe I must get home before soon," She got up and bowed, her hair tracing patterns on the grey carpet. "Please," She flashed a glance of her ivory eyes at Kakashi, "I hope Uchiha-San recovers from his ailment, Good afternoon Sir," She turned to leave, and Kakashi followed, watching her from the doorway as she walked to the lifts.

* * *

"Neji, what if your family doesn't like me?I mean…" Ten-Ten waved mascara over her eyelashes, making her eyelashes widen her already large eyes. Beside her sat a long haired man, who watched the woman with a feeling akin to wonder as she fussed in front of the mirror, whilst he sat on the bed.

"Neji, please, do something to reassure me, please," She fussed with her shoulder length hair, curling the silky locks with a pair of heated tongs.

"My family, well, I only have a small one left," he sighed, "My Uncle Hisashi and my two cousins, Hinata and Hanabi," He paused to make sure he had captured her attention.

"Hinata-Chan will love you, I'm already sure that she'll take you in totally. Hanabi-Chan will follow pretty much what her older sister says because secretly she's in awe of Hinata," He then sighed again, with malice, "Uncle is the…hard egg to crack, and you'll have to really impress him, I know he'll be disagreeable…So the girls won't even dare to say anything"

She bent over, and placed her warm hand on his cool shoulder. "Look, I love you, I, I really do, And… I don't need your family's validation to do that, but I know you do, tell me how to get into your family's good books, and I'll find a way. I know I'm not rich, but wealth doesn't matter…Neji, are you listening?"

Neji closed his eyes, and exhaled, his heart beating wildly underneath his cool exterior. "There's something about my family you need to know…and if you want to…" He paused, pinching his nose between his forefinger and thumb.

Her hands were on his knees now. "How?"

He could smell her so clearly, soft rose perfume that she used all the time tickling his nose. How he wanted to lick and bite into that soft curve of that neck.

He controlled himself and fell back onto the bed. "Think of it as a monstrous family secret,"

"Argh, Neji, nothing could be more monstrous than you sometimes!"

He smirked in response. "You have no idea,"

"You're the extended family of the mafia?"

"No,"

"…Have you ever killed someone?

"Once or twice," answered Neji, rather truthfully, because if you did bite someone out of need, or if you took to much blood, or if the person you bit had an underlying health problem, accidents happened, and truthfully, Neji had never killed purposely, and as far as he knew, none of his family had either.

She hit him with a pillow and collapsed beside him, "Sometimes you're impossible".

They then laid there together, simply enjoying one another's silence and presence, and Neji inhaled Ten-Ten's delicate scent of roses like a form of much desired drug.

"How much do you love me?" The words broke from his lips, and floated in the air, shattering the simple silence they had one moment ago, enjoyed so much, and twisted it into something much more complicated and intricate.

She twisted he head around, and Neji could feel her owl like gaze on his as she studied his profile.

"Hrm…" He imagined he must feel like Hinata when startled, when her cheeks became so red, because He was sure his ears would burn a hole in the bed. He was unable to meet that raking owl like gaze, his eyes almost trembling in their sockets.

"How much…What have you done Neji? Should I be mad?" She asked in a teasing manner.

He sat fully upright, pulling his muscles into his stomach as he did. "Fine, Why do you love me?"

"You're being serious," He nodded, and she suddenly had an epiphany. It became obvious to her that Ten-Ten that Neji was going to ask her to marry him, she blushed, "Hrm, I love you… because you're different, because you're not afraid of opportunity or for taking it. I love you because well… you're my grizzly bear and I'm your snow bunny. And I love your cold hands when I'm feverish, and I love the way your hair falls and how it glints in the sun, and how you love night-skiing, and your passion for knowledge and the way you looked after me when Daddy died…I want to be with you because of that, because of everything… I would want to be with you…"

"Would you be with me forever?"

"Where did this romantic crap come from?" Laughed Ten-Ten.

"…I'm serious, I could offer you that… that's why we're talking now," His heart wrenched in his chest.

"Do you want to get married Neji?"

He nearly laughed. Marriage was nothing compared to the commitment expected between the relationship between two vampires. Vampires could be together, quite literally, forever… if he could bring himself to touch that beautiful body with the sole intent of marking her with the dreaded vampire's love bite.

"Do you?"

"…Yes, yes I would," she cried throwing her arms around his neck. Gingerly her prised off her fingers, but gently returned the kiss she had given so eagerly.

"I-I think there's something you ought to know, about me, and my family,"

She gave him her sole attention, her eyes so much like an owls looking at him with love, care, devotion, everything he could ever want and need.

"Would you still love me…"

She still looked at him with devotion, her wild eyes melting for him.

"I'm a vampire."

She screamed with laughter, and rolled in hysterics on the floor. When she recovered, she tried to wipe the tears of laughter away from her eyes, but couldn't stop herself from snorting when she saw his serious face. "Good one Neji, you nearly had me there!"

He bowed his head and she clambered onto the bed, sensing something was wrong. She placed her small hand over his large paw. "…Neji,"

"I-I was being honest…" He mumbled, his tongue almost tripping over himself.

"Oh," A light bulb flickered in Ten-Ten's head, "You're from one of those like, sub-classes that like act out the whole vampire thing in their spare time, like in New York?"

"Not exactly,"

"Fine… you're a vampire. Show us your fangs," She smiled at her joke.

Just once more he inhaled the air to taste her scent, just in case she left after this moment of no return. Slowly, he pushed her desired scent to his mouth, and slowly, his gums ached and his fangs slowly melted over his canines, his teeth becoming more polished and whitened. He smiled awkwardly, his fangs disrupting any natural smile.

In her face…there was curiosity, and that was good. For a start It wasn't horror, and she wasn't screaming for help, or attempting to stake him. But that didn't necessarily mean that she wasn't going to leave him. Then came the decisive moment.

She reached upward and stroked the teeth. "Well, they're sharp, that's cool, but why don't you sparkle like the other vampires?" She smiled, her lips perking at the ends at her little joke.

He smiled awkwardly, his canines startlingly white. "You still love me now?"

Then she looked deep into his eyes, her owl-gaze centred deep into his own grey eyes, and for one special moment, was mature for the two of them. "What do I have to do love you forever?"

A faint outline of a grin sparked on Neji's lips.

* * *

The rat paced, impatient for the other to arrive. He already half knew that he would be late, but he wasn't expecting this kind of stand up. He clasped his hands together, afraid that his weakness, his hatred of the biting sensation of the icy wind on his hands would be seen by an observer, or even, worse, him.

His fangs began to tremble in his mouth.

He was a rat, he knew he was, but he knew something was up with this. If the information he thought he had was good enough, then this guy shouldn't be late.

"So you're the rat,"

And there he was, the man he thought he had information on, the double agent within the force. A was levelled at his head, the metal glinting in the light.

"You're the one who killed the girl in the park, two weeks ago,"

"N-no," stuttered the rat, his face startlingly white and pale, and weak in the moonlight, certainly not the vampire that had killed the girl.

"Pity, It would have made my work so much easier," The figure with the gun sighed. "I'm sorry I have to kill you…I'm a pacifist really," Then he shot him down, bullets ripping through his body and making holes. "I had to cover up my mistakes" Sighed the double agent, who had hidden his identity so wisely, it would have been a pity to break his silence.

Slowly he reloaded his 22. Calibre with the silver bullets, and the Vampire who hunted Vampires behind a façade of blood and lies disappeared into the mist.

Uchiha Itachi was his name.

* * *

*NOTE FROM CLUE*

I think I just had a NejiTen Gooey moment :P It felt really good, and I hope to do some more sweet scenes later. I've also introduced Itachi, who of course Is going to have something to do here :P

PS. THANK YOU FOR REVIEWS, YOU'RE ALL VERY SWEET!


	4. Shadows

In talking, shyness and timidity distort the very meaning of my words. I don't pretend to know anybody well. People are like shadows to me and I am like a shadow. Gwen John

* * *

An explosion of artificial coloured chemicals caused the crowd of underdressed and cold mortals to gasp in amazement. The predator within the group ground his teeth and twisted his head, yearning for the taste of sweet tainted blood. Not a virgin's, something sophisticated, deliciously experienced in the ways of the world, complex, not simple and sweet.

But he wanted young, he wanted sugar not a young prostitute. Why did the world have to be so complicated? His teeth grinded in his mouth, his body impatient for some form of blood trickling down his eternally parched throat.

A footstep sounded behind him.

It wasn't human, even in this crowd he could tell, with so many people. This step, the perfect folding of grass underneath was precise, perfect, correct. Definitely not one of these pathetic omnivores that he walked amongst. Another predator.

Stonger, faster and strangely, younger. Knowing when to quit, he ran.

Behind him Itachi smirked as he took note of the enemy, then stopped to admire the short lived beauty of the blossoming fireworks, the coloured embers. But to the humans in the crowd, all they saw was lone stranger, tired and haggard, watching the fireworks with a critical eye.

* * *

"Sakuke, you can't wear those shoes in this mud! It'll ruin them!" Shouted Sakura

"Ano," Chimed in Hinata, "You m-may very well ruin them,"

"Hn," Sasuke replied, agreeing but disagreeing as he played mind games with Sakura.

She took one look at the shoes in their current condition. The tossed her bubblegum hair up and took Hinata by the arm, linking their elbows together. "You'll be sorry," Was all she said before stomping off towards the queue to get in.

Sasuke watched the two with their interlocked arms as they walked, making notice of Hinata's bare arm gleaming in the moonlight. The girl did have rather nice elbows.

He shook his head after the traitorous thought, shaking it out of his system. The girls had gone in, but Naruto hadn't arrived yet, Trust the bum to be late. He took out his iPhone to play something to kill time. Fall out Boy? Lost Prophets? He chose Innerpartysystem and grouched, looking cold and hungry as his headphones stung like ice in his ears. Behind him fireworks exploded showering stars of flying embers downwards.

He would have to go in soon because he wouldn't be able to see the Catharine wheels. He gazed over the horizon and gazed into the distance, his breath forming mist and his feet aching because he didn't have socks on.

A man ran out of the display gates. Sasuke watched him with disinterest. "Sasuke-teme!"

He could have hit him, shouted, screamed or thrown a hissy fit where he ripped out his hair and rolled around on the floor. "About time idiot," was his uncreative reply.

"Where are the girls?"

"Gone in, they were missing out,"

"Right," Naruto led the two in, paying and getting their hands stamped. "Geeze,"

Sasuke actually turned to look at Naruto's discomfort, revealing to any observer he was actually interested in the boy, which he mentally cursed himself for. If he had owned less of a reserve of resistance, maybe he too would have allowed a form of disappointment past his lips, though it was taken that he would be rather less polite than Naruto.

There were so many people, mainly families with young kids and teenagers messing about near the back with mini-fireworks and sparklers, Like a sea of rippling waves they stood still, but moved. To the side stood a stall with an extraordinarily long queue.

"I reckon Sakura will have pushed to the front by now," Said Naruto, who Sasuke dipped his head to in solemn agreement.

They pushed through the layers of crowd. Through the mud, which covered Sasuke's converses as Sakura had feared. He smirked in the light as he was sure nobody would see. He would have to chuck them now after this, but not after one last night.

Over the last month he had noticed the holes and tears. It was time to say goodbye to a long friend in the best way possible, like a Viking sea burial.

"Damn it," Came from Naruto.

Sasuke was pushed out of his trance. "I really can't see them, where do you recon they are?"

Sasuke shrugged and took advantage of the giggling gaggle of girls at the front who quickly analysed him and Naruto to quickly allow them placement whilst throwing stares at the two. Sasuke leaned on the rail and watched the men in florescent jackets running to and fro, lighting fireworks.

Was it wrong to wish that one should accidentally fall and burn, screaming and calling for help as everyone panicked and even the specialised medics stood in awe of the gore of the males burning face, hands, toes, fingers…everything.

Again, twice that night, he shook his murderous brain in the hope that his thoughts would go away and focused his sole thoughts on the endless blabbering of Naruto.

But it kept coming back, the thought that mans face half coated in mud and the rest of it burning. Or the urge to push the pregnant woman off the station when she stands too close to the edge. His thoughts kept creeping back to morbid and disturbing topics, and Sasuke couldn't control it.

He was going to be mad like his brother.

He was mad like his brother.

It was only a matter of time before he killed everyone.

He shook his head again, feeling light-headed with that thought. Not many things frightened Sasuke, horror movies and the real vampire girl with fangs didn't.

Blood and Itachi did.

His head reeled and he looked up to see at least twenty fireworks explode at once, burning light onto his retina.

Blue and Green and Purple and Gold. Not red. Not red.

Not red like mother's blood seeping into the floorboards.

"Ahhh, weeeeeee, It's blue! Why don't they have orange, I mean they have gol-" Sasuke collapsed on Naruto's shoulder. The girls beside them giggled even more, and Naruto turned red at the implication.

"Hey, Naruto!" Sakura bust through the crowd, Hinata following, almost like a lost puppy following a stranger.

Then she saw Sasuke, "…Sasuke-kun!"

She took him from Naruto and cradled his head in his arms, taking him down to the floor, "Somebody, call an ambulance!"

"Ano, Sakura-chan, this is a public display… there's a ambulance b-by the barbeque," Hinata said simply, trying not to sound so happy because she had been useful.

Taking note of Hinata's words Naruto picked up Sasuke's torso and left the girls for his legs. Then dragged him out of the crowd into the direction of the cooking smell. It felt like thousands of beetling eyes were observing them, and Hinata found herself going red, whilst the other two didn't even notice.

The medics came and helped when they got him over there. They actually woke Sasuke up, who angrily looked at his friends and practically spat "I didn't need help," before he keeled over again.

"Anyone wanna hot dog, I mean, they are right by us?"

The two girls glared at him, though Hinata couldn't really bring herself to do that as he smiled, and inevitably, she blushed.

"Are you crazy? Sasuke's dying and you want a hot dog?!" was all Sakura could say.

Naruto shrugged. "Whatever, Sasuke's cool, he just got up then,"

"To fall back down!"

Hinata watched the two bicker as she sat down and observed the fireworks dance as they exploded. Beside her Sasuke groaned and half opened his eyes. "What are you looking at?" Was the best he could muster.

She smiled, lip lace curling, "Fireworks," He remained silent, and the medics turned to fuss over a teen who had burnt himself from a sparkler. She decided to elaborate. "Fireworks are like a physical metaphor for human life… they rise from nothing, then everything suddenly explodes…becomes amazing, and everyone is so caught up in the jubil-ant sound of the explosion they don't see that they have ultimately caused their own destruction,"

"Progress doesn't mean that the world will end," Sasuke replied, almost worried by her view.

"No, the presence of humanity does. Progress makes it ever so closer, Humans will bring about their own destruction,"

"I HATE YOU NARUTO! WHY CAN'T YOU BE NORMAL!"

"NORMAL LIKE YOU!?"

"I doubt it," answered Sasuke, "Evolution is natural…" He paused for lack of a better argument.

"I've been alive for over four-hundred years," Sasuke's head snapped to hers, "And that is my conclusion… I-I am more experienced in these matters,"

"You're four-hundred?"

"You wouldn't know it, ne?"

"YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR RAMEN AND BOARDING!"

"I CARE PLENTY ABOUT STUFF, SAKURA!"

"I lived in Japan as a child. It was nice, if I remember well, I-I was born in…1588,"

"You lied,"

"Huh?"

"You're four hundred and twenty one,"

"Really? Oh, I didn't-t realise, h-how silly," She giggled nervously, a blue firework scoring blue tracks across her soft face. He tried to move himself up, to do something that couldn't be conceived as illness. Allowing his hand to flex he moved it upwards. Sakura noticed the movement and grabbed his hand eagerly. "Sasuke, you're ok," She began to cuddle it, caressing it. "I was so worried," She whispered in her softest voice.

He snapped his hand back. "I'm going home,"

"B-but Sasuke-kun, the fire-"

"I don't care," He got up and began to limp away, obviously in pain, but also obviously hiding it. Sakura knew better than to go after him, knowing he would take it as insult.

"Ano- I'm s-sorry Sakura-chan, S-Sasuke-san's bus is the same as mine… I was t-told by father no-not to go by myself, Ano- I'm so sorry," She jogged away from Sakura's disappointed face, and ran to Sasuke's side. Who again, wholly ignored her.

They exited together, leaving the fireworks and their friends behind, and Hinata couldn't resist turning to try and see the two. There were too many people, it was too dark, but to extend her senses outward, that family knack of hers, and she could see the two as they gazed together at the fireworks, Naruto happily chewing on a hamburger. Hinata couldn't help but smile, happy they were not arguing for the moment, but also worried, for a shadow of doubt caressed Sakura's elfin face.

Then she walked into Sasuke's back.

Something was wrong, he was tense, from his shoulder blades to his tendons. Hinata peeked over his shoulder.

A lone man stood in the field. His eyes like a cats, pointed and black, sparked with the flame of intelligence. Wisps of loose hair fell around his face, the rest tied back into a smooth ponytail. His face was aged beyond his years, two lines running down his face, his lips thin. Hinata gasped and gulped for air when the sensation of strength hit her like a wave.

"Itachi," Escaped from Sasuke's mouth, like a wish longed for years.

"Little Brother," was the reply.

Sasuke began charging, almost screaming in his desire to punch, kick, throttle, burn, and Hinata felt that heat like she was burning.

"SASU-" She screamed forgetting half his name as she sped forward and skidded in front of him, her own dead lump of skin flexing and stretching to get in front.

Her arm protected him, she faced the man, the vampire still unmoving.

"Get off, Get off, he's mine, the bastard's mine, get out of this," Sasuke spat, screaming like a cat as he tore at her arm, too cold and frozen to move.

"He's the same," She whispered, too soft for his hardened ears.

He pushed her off, glaring at his brother having lost momentum from his run. Itachi surveyed the scene with critical eye. "What do you mean?" was Sasuke's hissed response,

"He's a vampire… We need to get out of h-here,"

Sasuke took another glance. Itachi blinked for a moment slowly curving his thin lips, "If you want to kill me, you'll have to become the same, you'll have to become a vampire…But you know that already, you need to become stronger,"

Sasuke nearly ran again but Hinata tightened her grip. Clenching her tiny but strong fingers into his arm, Sasuke couldn't wrangle his arm out of her grip. His brother smiled, mocking his weakness.

"I have better things to do,"

Itachi burst into a flock of crows. Sasuke gave up and fell to his knees in snarling defeat. Hinata stood awestruck, her pearly eyes surveying the powerful residue. "We-We'd better get home, ne?"

"Piss off" He snapped, his body taunt as he stood up,

"B-bu-"

"You're pathetic! How dare you!"

"I wanted to help!" She quietly shouted, that oxymoron was definitely hers.

He stormed off, his face contorted. Hinata almost smiled. His ugliness was almost beautiful, and considering his brother was a vampire, and those words… It was only a matter of time before Sasuke came back to her, if he needed to become vampire. It was only a matter of time. And she wanted a friend, and If she was right, Sakura wouldn't want her anymore.

* * *

"I'm still worried that your family won't like me,"

"Considering you're a vampire Ten-Ten there's nothing they can really do,"

"Yes…" Ten-Ten sulked, tasting the English words in her mouth. English was so ugly to her native French, a beautiful lilt was added to her every word.

"If you want to do anything more-"

She almost jumped at the opportunity.

"You could learn Japanese, after all, we are originally from Japan, I feel I ought to go back for the skiing one day, It's awfully atmospheric,"

Considering they were in the car outside the Hyuga house, Neji was implicating that she learnt Japanese after going into the daunting house. Damn her arrogant and socially retarded fiancé.

"Neji! Neji-Niisan," Came a soft voice through the car window.

Ten-Ten looked at her. As her old school friend Lee would say, Golly Gosh! She was a very pretty girl, In a soft feminine way, button nose and pink lips. She even shared the same eyes of Neji, though they were softer, girly. Ten-Ten decided that she needed a little more backbone.

The girl smiled a little more, almost like she could tell what Ten-Ten was thinking, and it offended her. It was almost creepy.

"H-Hello Ten-Ten, Welcome to our family, I'm Hinata-chan," The girl stuttered, breaking any thoughts of strength Ten-Ten had thought she had.

But she brown haired girl found herself smiling, a little more so when she got fully out of the car and realised that she was taller and skinnier than Hinata. The house was huge, and Ten-Ten was cowed by it, but Hinata's quick step found Ten-Ten following her. It was only when Ten-Ten stepped over the threshold of the house and came face to face with the family Hyuga that she realised that she hadn't told the girl anything.

* * *

*NOTE FROM CLUE*

Thanks for reading, I'm a bit late (My memory stick went through the wash) I'm going to take a little break for November, (I have exams to worry about) But December I'll be back for, so I hope you don't all hate me! I'm going to leave you on this fun note, with a bit of cliff-hanger, and I think I like Hinata being just a little evil. It's fun to watch XD.

Thank you ^^


	5. Only Love

_Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that._

_Martin Luther King, Jr._

_

* * *

_

Sasuke sulked in his cardboard box of a bedroom. He actually spent about sixty percent of his time in here, otherwise being in school or just getting out of the stupid flat. It really was a cardboard box. The walls were white with various tester squares of green, blue, purple. Obviously before Kakashi had taken him in, Kakashi had been thinking of painting his store-cupboard.

Because that was what it was. A store-cupboard.

Just enough to squeeze a single bed in, quite literally an inch from the swinging out door, and at the end of the bed, down the far end was a set of drawers, though it was so stuck into the bottom of the bed, that he couldn't get them open. He'd forgotten what was in the bottom two draws, though he had an inkling his last phone charger was in there. On top of the drawers was a jumble of wires, a blue lamp, his pile of dog-eared school books and a bin. In the two drawers lived his clothes, his hair necessities and many combs.

Above hung his much used mirror.

He chucked his dirty converses into the bin, the dried mud leaving patches on the blue bedcover.

He sat cross-legged, his crux of his nose pinched between forefinger and thumb as if he was suffering from headache. His lips hung a little open as his screwed his eyes shut, biting his tongue to supply pain to concentrate on.

The only way to attack, to become stronger was to become a vampire. He had no idea how this happened, or even how to proceed, other to crawl back to Hinata after calling her pathetic in haste. He was even more in the dark over Itachi being a vampire.

He'd always been under the impression that Itachi had killed his family due to an argument over business practises.

But who would kill their family over a small, insignificant amount of money? Especially when the Uchiha were rich, and Itachi had been doing well in his small business.

It had been a common agreement that Itachi had gone insane. It was revealed that he had been seeing a psychiatrist.

He'd been seeing a psychiatrist for most of his fucking life.

But he hadn't been seeing him for at least three months.

And then he'd gone crazy and killed everyone with father's antique samurai sword, slicing through them like bags of meat rather than human, living, breathing beings. And all that while, Sasuke had hidden under the kitchen table, shivering and crying, coughing up phlegm and vomit.

He'd been able to hear him coming in. He hadn't been able to move.

Not until he'd seen the blood covering Itachi. He'd been able to run then.

But Itachi had grabbed him, Sasuke had screamed and tore his muscles, squirming like a worm on a hook. And his words, the words that echoed in his head every night. "You'll have to become like me,"

Then he'd crashed into something like unconsciousness.

When he'd woken up. Licking the wetness off his lips, his cheeks, like sleep slime in his mouth. He'd woken up in a pool of mothers blood. When he got out, when he stopped screaming, when the neighbours stopped screaming when they saw him covered in blood, after the police, after the condescending interviews and after the funeral. At the funeral, that snake of a man.

His brother's psychiatrist, Dr. Orochimaru.

Sasuke reclined, holding within his fist the physiatrist's telephone number.

* * *

"Ten-Ten, Would you assist me in the kitchen, pl-please, Father wishes for me to cook tonight," Hinata curled her lip lace and allowed the younger girl a placement in the family niche.

Ten Tens face broke into a steady grin, and Hinata couldn't help to notice her lack of steely control. Like her father, she was quick to find fault in others, but she was too gentle to strictly order change, instead offering soft advice and help.

Ten-Ten busied herself with cooking pots and implements, familiarising with the kitchen and admiring the colour scheme of white and deep green tiles and dark marble tops. "What are we cooking Hinata-chan?"

She was quick to bore.

Hinata smiled, at least Ten-Ten was eager to bond with her. "O-one sec, hn?" She walked into the walk-in-fridge and past the dead pig hanging from a ceiling hook. Ten-Ten blanched behind her when she saw it's slit throat, and the draining tubes hanging from it.

Hinata felt her discomfort, and nearly panicked. Why would Neji bring somebody so unprepared to the house? Hinata almost shook when she remembered Ten-Ten's cheerful greetings, even if slightly unorthodox, they were accepted but it wouldn't take much to disregard them. Ten-Ten was going to have to learn some form of etiquette if she was going to survive.

She picked up five bags of premium AB human blood and handed two to Ten-Ten, immediately seeing if there was any discomfort in her face. Her red lips didn't even twitch.

The girl was not afraid of the digestion of blood, which was a good thing, but was disgusted by the methods of attainment.

Hinata sighed. This girl needed help, and it seemed that Hinata had to be the one to offer aid.

* * *

"Stop being such a… big pair of wet knickers Shikamaru, you said you would do this," Commanded the blond girl.

"Temari…this is the most troublesome thing yet… can't we just go home?" Complained the lazy male.

Temari ignored the lazy male and slowly hooked her bra off, feeling Shikamaru's eyes zero in on her. "Come on!" She pulled off her pants and dived into the pool, smirking as she floated, assured that she looked perfect as her cheeks flushed in the cold and her hair dripped with moisture.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, and pulling off his boxers, and jumping in, putting around 7% worth of effort. He certainly liked Temari, especially as a girl-friend otherwise he wouldn't be doing this.

In an oddly comforting way…she was his mother, and he was fully aware of that strange fact. But he enjoyed her comforting intelligence and her sharp wit, and even, should he say coarser things, her athletic, muscular figure.

He just didn't share her taste for adrenaline, and neither could he stomach the thought that he had just been talked into skinny dipping with his thrill-seeking girlfriend.

And the thing was that if he didn't do anything, like move, he would drown.

Then she splashed him, causing his wet hair to become slightly more shiny, since it did have a natural greasy sheen to it. He pulled a long horse face. That only made her more spiteful and she splashed him again, her pretty face heightened by mischief.

* * *

"Hey…" The two girls sat together in form room.

"H-Hello Sakura-chan!" Hinata greeted her friend in the best way possible, fully aware that Sakura was paranoid and jealous that Hinata would steal her Sasuke.

"Get home okay?" Asked Sakura, really wanting to know that Sasuke had gotten home.

"Yeah, my cousin and his fiancée have come home, we're so busy!" Hinata smiled, knowing that her cheerful response would make Sakura even more jealous, and feel challenged.

"Hey, guys, you're friends with this guy called Naruto, yeah?" A dusty blond sauntered over, a smirk forming over her face, the cocky bitch. Make no mistakes, this girl knew where she was going, how she was getting there and which socks she was going to wear.

Enter the one and only Temari.

"Yeah sure," Sakura agreed and Hinata nodded beside her, smiling a small smile as Temari's eyes glanced over her and onto Sakura.

It wasn't that she craved attention, and neither did she loath it, but the feeling of unimportance got under Hinata's skin, and japed her nerve endings with pinpricks of steel.

"Oh, right, you went to primary school with him?"

"Yeah, totally," Sakura smiled, her eyes jaded with young memories, "Konoha Kids Academy was way awesome,"

Hinata bowed her head, feeling awfully left out.

"Right, you know Ino?" The dusty blond looked bored, almost like she was waiting to hit someone.

"That little piggy!" Sakura squealed, "Of course I would know that girl anywhere!"

Hinata could sense Temari's annoyance, like a coarse rope being pulled around her head, each individual fibre sticking out into bare, virgin flesh.

The animalistic thought made Hinata's salival glands quiver. Geeze, she was hungry.

"Right," No doubt about it Temari knew where she was going, she was that straight to the point kind of girl, "She's having this huge bash for her seventeenth, and I was told by my boyfriend to try and get some people from his primary from here to come, or she'll hit him,"

"Gosh," Sakura started gushing, lively in the pursuit of gossip, "You're dating Nara?"

Temari shrugged, that cocky smirk playing on her lips as she judged the two of them, running her eyes up and down, like they were competition. "He's a lazy bastard, but he's malleable, I can make him do anything," She turned and walked away, her smirk enlarged.

Sakura sat with her eye twitching, Hinata smiled. Did this mean she could come too?

* * *

Temari sniffled and shook and trembled in the corner, hating herself and her bloody dinner. She almost shook thinking what the girls at school would say if they could see arrogant Temari crying her eyes out because her brother rejected his meal.

Actually, to put it more realistically, Gaara had looked at it, her best meal so far, and the way he had looked at it, the undisguised revolt in his cold face as he scrutinised the dish, almost like he was going to throw up.

She knew Gaara had…problems, for a lack of a better word. Like when he had started smoking, regardless of Kankuro's deterrents. Or his recurrent insomnia… but that didn't mean he had to do this, do this to her. Did he care for her, his only sister, at all?

All these unanswered questions shook her, and added, multiplied themselves in her head. Why did he treat her with such disdain? Why couldn't he listen, settle down? Was he hiding drugs in his room? Why wouldn't he let her in his room anymore? Why wouldn't he let her in mother's room? Why didn't he bother to conceal his wrongdoings, but why didn't he not want her attention and love?

Why, Why, Why?

Why couldn't he satisfy her cravings for some form of acceptance by trying once to be kind?

She sniffled again, wiping her eyes roughly with the back of her hand and choking on stray tears.

Upstairs, in his room, Gaara rolled a cigarette between his trembling fingers as he shook to control himself as he fought for dominance.

Shukuku played dirty. Gaara saw, through his own eyes as he caressed and licked that girls jugular vein, her laboured breaths, her hands running down his chest as she kissed him back, her saliva dispersing into his.

Her dead and dirty torso on the park bench, her blue eyes open, her strawberry blond hair askew, He knew Shukuku was trying to scare him, worry him that he would attack Temari.

And he wouldn't, provided he never slept.

Ever.

Again.

He shook, his head dizzy and his limbs cold as he hit the floor, the demon inside of him tempting him to fall asleep as it opened it's dirty jowls, strings of bloody saliva dripping from shifting sand.

He was hallucinating. There was no way the demon was sitting on his chest, becoming heavier and heavier as the sand wrapped around his jarring arms, legs, torso. Black eyes formed in a potato-mashed head. The diamond pupils shone with golden delight.

Sand covered his mouth as he tasted blood seeped grains sweeping into his mouth, puffing out his cheeks as it swept into him, and pushed down his throat, pumping against his gag reflex, the sheer force of the flow of serpentine sand causing abrasion.

And then it was over, and he was on the floor gasping and coughing up blood and spittle whilst his sister screamed, banging on the locked door.

His cigarette lay unlit with a dusting of sand.

* * *

"Argh, I hate my body, It's so unfeminine, like living in a twelve year old male's, I want your boobs, urggh," Sakura smiled, her internal debate over Sasuke and Hinata temporally forgotten.

"Ano, don't say that," Said Hinata shyly, "I wish I had your skinny legs,"

The two exchanged pleasantries as they both got ready in the feminine secret fashion. Sakura wore high length stockings with side buttons and fake ugg boots, paired with a short skirt, pink tank top and brown leather jacket.

"Look any good?…reckon I'll pull?"

The two girls burst out into giggles.

" Reckon I will, S-sakura-chan?"

Sakura joked with her, giving her the up-down, and taking in Hinata's floating lacy lilac dress, with pink ballet pumps and patterned rose fashion tights. Hinata gave a twirl, her dress swishing around her, her hair almost curling.

Sakura pranced round with her, messing around and fluffing up her candyfloss layers. Sakura's Mum called up the stairs and offered a lift.

"One sec Mom!"

Sakura pulled Hinata's freezing hand into the bathroom. "Make-up!"

Soon Sakura coaxed Hinata into a tiny bit of black eyeliner and mascara and a lot of silver glitter eye shadow. Her lips were a shiny pink, glistening with moisture. Sakura pouted, applying a red lipstick and shiny peach eye shadow.

"Girls!" Shouted Sakura's Mum from downstairs.

"Coming!" Sakura shouted in response and clambered down, Hinata following behind.

* * *

Naruto pulled on his black top, and looked for his lynx aftershave, which he was assured would help him on his quest to find the perfect girlfriend, especially at Ino's party. Sasuke laid on the bed behind him, wearing a shirt and Jacket, his hair styled to perfection as his vanity allowed. Naruto prattled on about the perfect woman, inadvertently commenting on Sakura's perfection, convinced that this was a form of male bonding ritual.

He was only here because he reckoned Hinata, who could possibly be considered an ally, in the fight against Itachi. Considering she was the only vampire he knew, he had to trick her into turning him into a vampire. Considering her position, the unfortunate thing would have to do would be to seduce her.

* * *

*Note from Clue!*

I actually did something :D, I really wasn't expecting it for the mocks, but I've taken my time off, and I ended up so bored I was like, actually I want to do something creative.

Was anyone expecting Gaara to be battling his inner demon? I want to know if this was too predictable a move. I'm also am going to be able to bring in some incredibly awkward Sasuhina, because i love it when people just cannot interact, and sasuhin isn't sasuhina until there is a form of awkward interaction XD.

I hope you enjoyed this suprise chapter!


	6. Atonement

_What atonement is there for blood spilt upon the earth?_

_Aeschylus_

* * *

Ino was an artist in the great tradition of pretence. She spent hours on her eyes to make her pupils larger through illusion and bronzer and blusher to tone her cheek-bones. She used a highlighter to slim down her nose, and a moisturiser base to protect her skin.

Foundation covered her imperfections, and base powder concealed. Lipstick covered her lips, the glossy finish reflecting light and her eyebrows were plucked and shaded. Her eyelids were tinted purple and silver, her eyelashes thick with brown mascara.

She lazily gazed at her reflection, and silently criticised her work.

She really was a perfectionist.

Her new boyfriend, Sai was expected to come, and she could already hear the dance music and shouts from her wannabe friends and her real, old friends from younger education.

She would have run her hands through her hair were it not for the fact it was straightened to perfection.

Everything was planned, everyone was coming, the buffet was set out and she had chosen the dance music. The pool was clean, her parents out, the bedrooms locked, and she was beautiful in a purple dress and black leggings.

Time to let her hair down and party!

* * *

The music sucked, it was November and it wasn't even Ino's birthday, and the weather was too cold to go in the pool. Irrevocably Sasuke grouched and glared around him, looking for Hinata and possibly Sakura. He'd lost Naruto to some of the wannabes that Ino hung round, and six of them were practically draped over his arms. Obviously the lynx was doing the job.

Kibahung round with Naruto, enjoying the company of females and a similarly minded male. Shino glowered, not really knowing how to place himself within a social circle.

Choji was here too, but unfortunately he hadn't realised the punch was spiked with vodka. He was throwing up in the pool, so it was a good thing that it was too cold for anyone to swim. He could she Shikamaru softly kissing some pretty girl with blond hair, and two red heads beside them, one comically laughing at the two whilst the shorter antisocially rolled a cigarette by the poolside.

And almost as if sensing his own glare, the stare was returned by a pair of ringed eyes, and drawn into the jaded centres of those daunting eyes.

Something about him was hugely attractive. His dark wild and red hair.

_Blood blood blood. _

His darkened eyes, the kanji of love on his forehead, not a tattoo but a scar on his perfect face. His chin a pointed curve and his lips thin but soft, even from where he was standing, he could tell those lips were totally kissable. In fact, those lonesome lips yearned for some attention.

Sasuke found himself walking over, introducing himself like a normal person would, his black personality being drowned and drenched in those silent jade eyes. No, it was nothing like drowning, drowning would be a sweet embrace compared to the acidic scalding of his eyes.

He could sense some disgust emanating from the young man, a narrowing of the eyes and a curl to his lips. And ever so unlike himself, Sasuke found himself forming apologies he didn't know his mouth could form without sarcasm.

And yet the young man looked on him with something akin to disgust.

And the worst thing was that it shook Sasuke that he was being rejected, that his vanity was overwhelming sense, and that he was over-whelmed by the great complexity of another.

An all too familiar cold arm snaked round his, and slowly tugged him back into reality.

"S-Sasuke, are you f-feeling well? You look awfully pale…"

He would have reprimanded her for the comment, save for the fact that he was internally celebrating his attractiveness to the opposite sex, even frigid vampires, and he still was in a love-drunk stupor over the red head's rather lovely face.

She pulled him away backward. Still smiling at the young man and gripping Sasuke's arm. Something changed in the man, the look of disgust…of self-hatred, not directed at Sasuke, but rather, at something else beyond comprehension.

That's when he realised, there was no music, and ever since he had noticed the red head, the world had literally paused in motion, and he, Hinata and the young man were the last ones moving.

But the young man wasn't entrancingly beautiful anymore. Like a huge mould growing on the surface, even under the skin of the young man. Sand began to pour out of his nose, slowly in drips, and boiling and growing until it covered his head and body.

"Ano- I-it's a pleasant experience to meet you Mr…?"

"Shukuku," emitted an unearthly voice, unnaturally gritty and course to pour out of fine lips.

"H-hello Mr Shukuku, what are you doing possessing Gaara-kun?" Hinata smiled her lace lip whilst Sasuke resisted the urge to vomit.

The boy/beast grinned, contorting Gaara's face into a painful grimace.

"W-what are you doing? W-why are you planting false I-images in poor Gaara-kun's head?"

The thing grinned even more. "It's fun. It's fun to see his face when I show him what it would be like to kill his sister, brother, his mother all the time, I like it when I take over and implant messages in his head, that I've stolen," He grinned to boast at his huge achievement.

"He thinks he's a monster," Sasuke burst out.

Hinata smiled in mock appreciation, only to suddenly throw herself into Sasuke, and push him backwards, their arms entangled and bodies pressed together as they fell into the pool.

The surface broke like shards of glass, and the world fell back into tangled reality. Basshunter was playing, everyone was laughing, and Hinata and Sasukehad fallen into the particular patch of swimming pool with Choji's puke polluting the surface. Not to mention that the pool was bloody freezing.

Hrm, and it looked like Choji had eaten sweet-com, because those lumps were in Sasuke's hair. Then again, Hinata had happened to surface in a puddle of beige, so perhaps he was the luckier considering the slop shining on her lilac dress as she tried to pull herself out of the pool, but her dress weiged her down, and she ended doing a fantastic flop sideways to get herself out.

All those wannabes laughed at her with malice in her eyes, and Hinata cowered in their devilish sights, her inner strength forgotten in the face of the all mighty wannabes.

Sasuke pulled himself out and stood and glowered by her, sending a stare of death towards the idiotic girls, and pulled Hinata away, holding her hand.

Sakura didn't miss that action.

He pushed through the crowd to the house, noticing that Gaara was still where he originally was, however, he'd lit the cigarette, and refused to look Sasuke's way.

"Don't touch anything, it's my parent's house!" Screamed Ino before getting back to socialising with her new boyfriend around her waist.

It was pretty easy to find the bathroom considering Ino lived in a pretty large house, and quickly Sasuke turned the sink taps on and shoved his head under, attempting to get the terrible smelling vomit out of his perfect hair.

"It's a sleep demon,"

"Hn,"

"O-ok I t-thought you might be interested, I'm s-"

"I am interested. Continue,"

"O-oh I-I"

"Stop stuttering too, you're supposed to be stronger,"

"Why?"

"You're a vampire," said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"T-that's a l-little s-stereotypical, ne?"

"Shut up and continue," Then he remembered that he was supposed to be nice to the girl, wasn't he supposed to be seducing her?

"W-Well," She continued unperturbed, "The…thing inside o-of…It was Gaara right?"

"Yeah,"

"It's a sleep demon, It lies in w-wait until the victim, Gaara, Falls asleep. Then the body becomes his o-own, It's really horrid what people end up doing. A-ahd, it's s-strong too, I-its actually a-accumulated dreams o-of another vampire, and has been f-forcing th-them on Gaara. As you s-said-"

"He thinks he's a monster,"

"Uh-huh,"

An awkward silence fell between the two. It fell to Sasuke to correct it.

"How do we help the guy?" internally he hated that he was asking, and didn't already have the knowledge, because that was a form of weakness.

"Help?" She tasted the question, weighing up the validity. "We c-could kill him?"

"What?!" Sasuke stared at her, "But that's wrong, you can't just kill like that!"

"What purpose do people fill? Does human life have a w-worth?" She looked into him with cold white eyes.

Sasuke looked shocked at the girl, now more vampire and inhuman than he could have thought. Then he was reminded of his mother, her blood on his face, how he could hear her crying out to Itachi to not touch him, and his brother too, His brothers inhuman red eyes.

If he wanted to become vampire, he had to free himself from these human thoughts of morals, and become superior to such small thoughts.

The small, timid girl stood in front of him, beckoning him into a new form of living nightmare.

* * *

"You're not a monster." Naruto was calm, and relieved to hear his own voice speak so clearly and concisely.

"Pardon?" came the voice of a surprised red-head.

"You're the same, you're the same as me, I really, really cannot believe I'm meeting someone like this," Naruto smiled widely. "I've got the fox inside me, and he said-"

"You're the same?" Gaara gasped, his eyes becoming wider. "You have the same problems?"

"Well, I can control it, like, and I can also do stuff when I wanna, and it's like totally cool, you know, yeah?"

"Control," Gaara revered the word. "I cannot control the beast inside of me," he admitted. "I'm afraid of what it will do if I loose control,"

"It happens, you've gotta learn to accept the consequences of… the power I guess," Naruto bowed his head, "I guess, I've done things, stupid things, I wish I had never done, When I get angry… that's the trigger,"

"Sleep, that's mine,"

"Bummer, no wonder you look like a druggie,"

"Oh, thanks," Gaara spat,

"No offence meant dude,"

They were an odd pair, walking home in the dark. One blond, tall and muscular. The other short, red-headed, and sickly thin. "So how do you know Ino?"

"My sister's dating a friend of hers…you?" Gaara subconsciously began to collect information on the man beside him.

"Went to primary school with the girl, haven't talked to her since like…. Primary school. Somehow I have her email, hotmail, mobile, home phone, and fax number thanks to Sakura,"

"Friend?" Gaara politely enquired,

"The best. I like her too, but she's in love with this other dude, and I can't compete with Sasuke,"

"He's got black hair, yes…handsome?"

"That's the bastard,"

"What's he doing with the vampire girl?"

"VAMPIRE!" Naruto shouted.

"The pretty girl, sort of shy, white eyes and long dark hair,"

"HINATA-CHAN!"

"Hn, isn't towards the sun a stupid name for a vampire?"

* * *

"I s-sounded awfully horrid then, I'm a-awfully sorry,"

Sasuke spun round to meet Hinatapawing at the ground with her left foot, "I'm sorry if I disturbed you then, I f-forget,"

"It doesn't matter" he muttered, and turned away, pacing down the sidewalk,

"Which one is your house?" It had rather been chivalrous action to actually waste his time to see her off. Tomorrow he planned to visit that psychopathic psychiatrist Dr. Orochimaru.

"No! It really does!"

He turned back to her, almost doing quizzical brows. He was surprised to find her gripping the lamppost, her other hand covering her face as she hiccupped tears and shook as the orange light hummed above her. "I-I hate it when, I say such things! I've seen s-so many things! I'veseen too m-much! I can't ever get close to anyone because I can sense things too acutely, and my father despises me!" She hiccupped.

The problem was that Sasuke didn't know how to acutely place himself. He could stand here and listen, but surely the girl needed a form of contact? A hug would be way too intimate, and she would feel overwhelmed by the contact.

He bent forward and gently tapped her shoulder. She snivelled and sniffed the air, breaking into a fake smile. "You smell healthy this evening,"

"…Cheers," replied Sasuke slightly perturbed.

Then for the second time that evening there was another hesitant and heavy silence.

"I p-promise to never say anything l-like that ever again," Another tear fell down her face.

"It's a deal…and look it's not like you can help it, you've seen so much and everything" he paused, thinking, "And I guess, when you've been around, and watched people get old… and stuff, It happens, you loose humanity,"

"I've tried so hard to keep it intact,"

"You didn't stutter,"

She smiled, and he was relieved, then she paused, biting her lip. "Are your weaknesses blood and…weakness itself?"

Sasuke responded by looking at her with an obvious glare.

"Ano, I'm sorry,"

"Hn," He turned away to drop his hand from her shoulder, only to feel it meet another lump of flesh. Unknowingly he squeezed the squishy lump to try and figure what on earth it was, without looking back.

"KYAAA!"

"Huh?" He turned around to see whatever she was so worried about and realised that he was squeezing her left breast.

He snorted and his ears became a puce red as she hyperventilated and became as red as a cherry. Then he remembered to drop his hand. His eyebrow began to twitch unconventionally, and Hinata's eyes began to water.

"W-why did y-you have t-to do that!" She wailed for the world to hear.

"I-I DIN'T MEAN TO!" He shouted, his eyes scrunched so he didn't see her torn up face, "IT'S NOT LIKE I WANTED TO!"

He then realised that was an insult, "I WANTED TO, BUT I DIDN'T MEAN TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW! IT WASN'T PLANNED!" He yelped.

"Ano, This I-is ra-rather awkward,"

Sasuke screwed open his eyes and took a peek at a painted pink Hinata.

"C-could you a-apologise so I-I feel better?"

"I never apologise,"

"But y-you just t-t-t,"

"Is touched the word you are looking for?" He really did try to be suave and charismatic.

She mumbled and twiddled her fingers together, still faintly pink. "No," she responded dully. "Meanie," she pouted

"Big words,"

And then they were at a stalemate. Another large silence fell over them, until Hinata turned left, and he turned right, and they both went home.

* * *

* NOTE FROM CLUE*

Gaara isn't the vampire who has been killing everyone, I've decided against it, after all, it didn't really fit :P And yes, Sasuhina is made by the awkward interactions, and, quite literally in this chapter, I've dropped them in the deep end. (PUN :D) Hrm, Could I ask for some feedback please?


	7. A Greater Hunger

Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.

_Mother Teresa _

* * *

Sasuke sat on his bed, his feet touching one wall, his back against the other wall, and sighed for he was unable to sleep for the huge tension building over the visit to the mysterious psychiatrist. It suddenly hit him that he probably would need protection if somehow Dr. Orochimaru was even more sinister that his eight-year old self remembered.

He remembered Hinata's strength when she had pulled him back from his brother, easily overshadowing his own. That made him feel even more weak, especially if he needed to rely on Hinata. It was rather sobering to be weaker than a girl that only came up to his chest.

Who coincidently has very plump bosoms.

He looked at the shiny, but very plain, calling card. The only real adornment was the little silver music note. A crotchet beat, If his small knowledge of music was totally correct.

What did this idiot doctor have to do with music? Hopefully not much, as Sasuke had learnt only grade one piano before giving up after realising the amount of practise expected from his teacher. He felt guilty for giving up now, considering his mother's great pride when she saw him practising. How much he would give to see her smile now.

"Sasuke, do you want waffles?" Knocked Kakashi on the door.

Sasuke looked the alarm clock, eight O'clock On a Monday, he wasn't in school due to the half term. He checked the calling card again, and yes, Doctor Orochimaru was in on Monday morning, from nine-thirty.

Half an hour to get breakfast, then go, find Hinata, hope she was up and awake, get her out of house, get into town, find the place, within what? An hour? Easy.

"Yeah, I'll have some," Sasuke replied, sensing Kakashi's surprise at a reply. As Sasuke moved round the door and squeezed into the hall.

Kakashi looked at him with an odd air.

"What?"

"You're meeting up with the lovely young lady I met the other day," Kakashi cocked his eyebrow in a winning gesture. "You need food, normally you never eat breakfast, but you're eating, obviously you need energy,"

Sasuke retorted by employing his hamster face, where he screwed up his lower face into a fantastic scowl.

Kakashi smiled under the mask, "Obviously, that confirms it,"

* * *

"Where are the bloody waffles?" Sasuke stomped in the direction of the kettle to get coffee, pulling out his blue enamel mug from the cupboard.

* * *

Hinata laid on the futon on the floor, her hair spread out behind her as she doodled with a charcoal stick. Her sister sat at the vanity and played with make-up and jewellery.

"Hey, sis?" Queried Hanabi, her small nose covered in powder,"What do you think of Ten-Ten-chan?"

Hinata paused her doodling. "I-I think she's a nice girl, a little unused to the family, b-but I guess as Neji nii-san's wife she ought to fit in, I-it's simply her duty I-I'm afraid, as is Neji's to lead…even I-if it is constrained, he can s-still do well for the branch members," Silently she cursed her stumbling speech.

Hanabi threw a swathe of black beads around her thin little neck, and raised one shoulder, pouting in the reflective vanity mirror. "I like Ten-Ten-chan, she's very pretty, like an actress… do you think I could be an actress Hinata-chan?"

Hinata sighed over her picture of a nymph frolicking in a glistening pool. In her head the nymph was much more dynamic, much more of a beauty than what was on display. "I-I don't know Hanabi-chan," she honestly replied, more concerned with making the nymph more vicious and devilish than beautiful than Hanabi's small talk.

After all, how could a vampire like Hanabi, forever sealed within her childlike body with childlike thoughts ever be a success?

"Well, I'm naturally skinny, so I won't have diet…you would have to diet to be an actress Hinata-chan, you're too curvy,"

"Ano, I'm not that l-large!"

"The paparazzi would eat you up! It would gobble and munch and crunch you up and spit you out all over the pavement!"

Hinata visibly flinched "P-perhaps that is w-why it is better for me to be s-shy H-Hanabi-chan, and in the background, not h-here, here in the spotlight,"

"Were you not the heiress back then?" Hanabi threw a careless glance back to her older sister, who met her gaze with soft caring eyes, "Were you not in the spotlight, and I was jealous? Look at us now sister, what stupid things worry humans, Isn't emotion awful? How human! I'm glad we are here, above those things, hn?"

Hinata refused to show any emotion, fully knowing her sister was testing her patience.

"Hinata, there's a rather striking boy at the front door!" Ten-Ten giggled, her head poking around the door frame.

Hinata's face contorted between surprise and worry that Sasuke would dare to stop by her house, why he was here, and the even more worrying thought that he actually knew where she lived.

"Oh, I'll go and m-meet him," Hinata said as she slipped out of the room, almost afraid of the combined taunts of the two feminine women.

She trotted down the twisting hallway and down three flights of stairs to the reception area where as she had correctly predicted he would be waiting.

If her heavy heart had been beating faster, if it hadn't been forcing it's way up into her much too thin throat, she probably would have fainted.

"Are you having a relationship of sorts with my daughter?" Hinata's father commanded from across the room.

Hinata could have died then and there as Sasuke stared at the elder man with total and utter distain for her father's respectability.

"Tch, Probably not In the way you're thinking of," He replied sarcastically, which Hisashi immediately thought the contrary. Sasuke, observant as ever saw Hinata and stood and left, refusing to even give her father another glance.

Hinata nodded to her father and followed after Sasuke out of the house, mortified by the boys lack of respect for the father, out into the front garden, and down the front path, onto the sidewalk. Without even speaking to her he turned left, towards the bus stop. Hinata almost had a heart attack panicking about his icy demeanour.

"W-Where are we g-going?" She asked, slightly shaken.

"Look, I need a helper, so shut up, kay," He ordered, snarling at her without showing his face. Hinata freaked hearing the hatred in his voice.

"Ano…I-I said w-where…" She squeaked

"We're going to a psychiatrist," Answered Sasuke sheepishly.

Hinata was even more perplexed than before but decided to keep quiet until Sasuke explained himself, knowing full well it was almost an insult to hurry him.

She waited for an answer as she observed the back of his spiky hair - It had gotten quite long, his hair obviously grew very quickly. He walked with a slight limp, perhaps he was wearing in new shoes?

Hinata sighed and waited for a response. Unfortunately Sasuke seemed perfectly comfortable in the silence, so she decided to prompt him.

Except she didn't know how to quite ask. Should she ask why he was going, or would it be more subtle to conceive some small talk and then to subtly ask him, or perhaps it would be better to be patient and go with him wherever.

Somehow she doubted she was coming for emotional support.

They waited in the bus stop for half an hour whilst he plugged into his iPhone and she fiddled with her hair, wishing she had worn something a bit more conservative, she hated skirts, but Ten-Ten had actually brought her one, as a peace treaty, _d'accord_ so it was only natural to wear it.

The problem was the overly frilly and lacy nature of the unfortunate thing. She couldn't prevent herself from playing with the lace running down the side, it called to her fiddling fingers mercilessly.

She started by flipping her hand under the fabric, and patting it upwards, making a rather pleasing _patta patta patta sound._A smile played on her lips. She began to stoke the lace, feeling the delicate holes and bumps, and rather reminding her of some of the clothing she used to wear, especially the clothing she wore in Britain through the Georgian period.

Sasuke watched her with annoyance as he struggled with himself to not to jump her and rip the bloody skirt from her constantly moving hands. She had sat not across from him, but rather had taken a place sitting diagonally, so naturally her hands flapped and made that stupid noise over and over again. In the corner of his sight, so he could just see her.

He would rush over and pin that bloody hand down whilst he ripped the skirt to shreds with his teeth, but considering the fix last night, she would probably think he was going to rape her and make a big fuss.

Perhaps it would be worth it to see her huge blush tainting her cheeks.

His ears went red at the thought and he turned his iPhone up to cancel out the thoughts.

Hinata's head snapped up, feeling his…affection and annoyance and met his eyes with petrified orbs. Her hand fell from the lace, and she began to tease her pink lip with her teeth.

To hide his further interest in her pink lips, he scowled until he felt his skin stretching with the effort. Hinata's blush became even more pronounced.

She would have steeled her nerves then and there to ask him, but at the moment the bus pulled in, thankfully breaking the moment.

They both hopped on and paid their fares with some degree of relief.

Hinata followed Sasuke up the isle, noticing that he naturally took the lead, and she was constantly following him. Silently she internally steeled herself and told herself she would continue to further improve herself.

There must have been only six people on the bus. Hinata realised, as she took a seat free of chewing gum that she was rather too close to Sasuke than her liking. Knowing her fidgeting would pester him further, she slowly built up the confidence to ask him. "Why… are w-we going?"

Sasuke noticed her lips moving but couldn't hear her over the blare of the music. He gave her a look to indicating her to speak again.

"What?!"

"W-hy are we going?"

"He's an associate of my brother, I need to check him out to track down Itachi,"

Hinata had a panic attack. "T-That powerful….man! B-But he's so dangerous, we can't do anything! Ano…I don't want to do this! Sasu-"

Sasuke cut her off, "I have no choice, and since you're on the bus with me," His black eyes flashed, "Neither do you,"

"Ano, b-b-but he said," She gasped as she realised, and her voice dropped to make sure that no-one would over-hear, "He said you had to be like him! He…" It hit her like a ton of bricks "You want to use me! You want me to turn you into a vampire!"

"When you're angry you don't stutter," Sasuke commented coolly.

"T-that's beyond the point!"

Sasuke turned to her, raising a dark eyebrow. "Is it?"

The bus pulled into the main station in the centre of town. Sasuke flashed his iPhone and saw it was quarter past nine. They had fifteen minutes.

Beside him Hinata was fuming. She hissed out of the side of her mouth like a kettle pouring steam. "You have no idea how inhumane and cruel and stupid it is to be stuck like this! N-No idea whatsoever!"

"I don't have a choice!" He snarled back, almost eager to see her angry.

Her hair fanned back from under her red beret, matching her cherry-tomato face. "I hate it, I hate lapping at blood like an animal! I hate knowing how quickly you all die! I won't touch you with a stick Uchiha Sasuke!"

"I don't have a choice either, do you know what he did?!"

They were nearly there, weaving through the crowded streets.

"It's no excuse to become soulless! No matter what! I do not care!"

"He killed my family! He killed everyone! My souls already broken Hinata!" He swung to face her. "I have to kill him, and there is only one way I can do this," his voice dropped, deeper and darker than before. "I need help here. I need your help,"

Hinata trembled in front of him, unable to refuse him. "I'll help," She softly said under her breath.

"Good," Sasuke became serious and led her, gripping her hand tightly as to not to lose her, crowd or otherwise. They stopped before the address.

It was only a plain door with the names of the Dr. Orochimaru and his associates printed on the wall. Another silver crotchet beat.

"It's on t-the second floor. He mu-mustn't be very prestigious," Hinata commented. She didn't mention how run down the area was.

"That's odd," Sasuke muttered "We weren't exactly poor. If my brother needed help, he wouldn't have to go to somewhere like this. He could have afforded the best."

Hinata nodded, and deciding that Sasuke wouldn't go in without prompt, she took the lead. Mildew grew in the tiled corners and the single light bulb flickered above their heads. The stairs were no better, as was the reception.

Traditional awful carpet, plain plastic chairs, kids toys in the corner and random magazines basking in the pus yellow walls. Sasuke sauntered over to the reception, Hinata took a seat.

"Hey?"

A red head popped up from behind the desk, and immediately her eyes flashed with a predatory glance beneath the black rimmed glasses, that Sasuke recognised all too quickly as traditional fan-girl.

"Hi I'm Karin," She said breathlessly. Hinata giggled at the response and Sasuke carried on unperturbed after all, he was rather used to this kind of feminine behaviour. "How can I help…handsome?"

"Is Doctor Orochimaru in?"

"Uhhh, one second, yeah?" Before he could answer the girl she had dashed off into a side room behind the desk. Hinata was beside him. "What a harpy!" She whispered in his ear.

"Really?" Whispered Sasuke, taking her too seriously. "Harpies exist!"

Hinata looked at him oddly "No- I m-meant-"

"SUIGESTU! WHAT THE FUCK DO I DO! I'VE GOT A HOTTIE AT THE DESK AND HE WANTS THE BOSS!"

Hinata and Sasuke exchanged looks.

"Yeah. Correct again,"

The girl fell out of the room and smiled flirtatiously at Sasuke.

"Sorry Hon, but…well Doctor Orochimaru was like, murdered like, a fortnight ago, Can I forward you on?"

* * *

*NOTE FROM CLUE!*

Hello! it seems like such a while since I've put anything up! (Sorry!) I'm looking so forward to Christmas, I'm kinda hoping I'll do something around then too :) Thank you all so much for reviews, I think I normally get round the signed ones, It all ways seems so selfish when people take the time to review and then people don't reply (Unless you have like, no time at all, I think I can understand 15+ reviews at once XD) The anonymous ones are normally really cool too :) So thank you all for reading!


	8. Cannot

_A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love._

_Max Muller_

* * *

Sasuke wasn't used to not getting what he wanted. Or rather, he refused to accept that there we some things that were out of his pale grasp. That didn't stop him from trying to ruthlessly get his own way, fighting to the top. After all, he'd even swayed a vampire to his calling, he was hardly going to lose out in life, or arather, he was not going to allow himself to loose out in life.

However, however much he wanted to, he wasn't able to reverse death.

He'd already asked Hinata if she could do anything, but as of yet, she was unable to bring back the dead.

He'd told her to work on it, jokingly, laughingly, like the entire thing was insignificant and didn't need any attention at all.

Then he'd gone back home, making sure that Kakashi was out and his bedroom/cupboard room's door was closed.

Then he screamed, kicked the bed and broke his lamp. It was a devastating blow, he'd pinned his hopes on tracking down Itachi via this bizarre man, and hell wasn't going to separate Sasuke from the irrevocable destiny that was his brother's death at his bloodied hands.

To make the inevitable despair worse, it seemed that Dr. Orochimaru had been stabbed by a "lover". Apparently a eighteen year old called Kabuto. When pushed the red-haired receptionist described Orochimaru as a "freak" who had "got it coming to him"-Not helpful at all.

He felt like such an idiot. Why did he pin his hopes on this one man? And to add insult to injury, Hinata was there to see his pathetic actions.

The presence of the girl set him on edge.

He didn't appreciate her presence at all, he was unnerved by her silent softness. The knowledge of her strength within her cold and pale limbs and her all seeing white eyes makes her a unwanted factor, something to make him look weak.

He doesn't mean to do it; it's an unconscious reflex of his, an uncanny knack. He has to compare himself against all the others in order to convince himself he is totally and utterly normal, but also superior in that sense.

His line of thinking is hardly logical.

"_Tap tap"_

Two soft knocks sounded on his door. Sasuke froze. He was the only one in the apartment; Kakashi was at his yoga class. His eyes darted to the clock on his wall, no, no, no Kakashi wouldn't be ho-

"_Tap tap"_

It sounded again on his door, thoroughly freaking Sasuke out. He lived in a freaking cupboard. Total fire hazard come to think of it- but also the fact remained that he was trapped in here and no matter what, escape was impossible.

Unless he could fit through the vent.

"_S-Sasu~Sas-u-ke,ke,ke,"_

He paused his thoughts to listen to the trembling voice at the door.

"_Can you l-let me in?"_

He abandoned his attentions to the much too small vent to place his ear by the door. "Hinata?"

"_H-Hai,"_ came her trembling reply.

Whilst his head ticked over he slowly wondered if she had heard his earlier digression. "W-Why are you here Hinata?"

Slowly the silver knob of the door turned and clicked, and the door opened, until it bumped onto the bed side.

She forced her head through, her bangs covering her eyes, and her lip quivering. Slowly he drew back to allow room on the bed because there was no room to stand.

His back hit the dresser. His mouth gaped open unceremoniously as he thought as quickly as he could within his muddled head "How do you know where I live?"

"_I came here before,"_ she answered in a strange monotone.

He tried to lean back further, without looking bizarre, or freaked. Slowly her eyes became visible through the blur curtain of hair framing her face. They were crazed, her veins surrounding her eyes raised in a myriad of twisting capillaries. _"Can you smell it?"_

"Smell what?!"

Hinata slowly began to crawl down the bed, her frilly skirt covering her knees. Sasuke looked round for escape again and again found himself cut short. Becoming desperate, he tried to barge her, and push her out of the way.

She was solid. He winded himself trying to push her out of the way. She pinned him against the way, her immense body weight pinning him down.

"HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE HOUSE?!" He yelped, his mind making loops while he panicked.

Slowly Hinata pressed her nose and sniffed Sasuke, savouring his individual scent. Her fangs bourgeoned in her mouth, but she restrained herself, allowing her tongue to flicker out of her mouth and trace across his skin.

His squirming stopped but his heart rate remained high, pulsing constantly under his skin. Hinata watched entranced by his breathing. But it wasn't there. She raised her head and sniffed, tasting the air.

Sasuke watched horrified. She pinned him back with her hand and leaned back. _"Smell it?" _She asked, her eyes crazily large.

And then she took off his shoe.

It was really a bad habit of his to wear his shoes in bed.

His breath hitched when he saw the burst blister, so deep that his blood had began to trickle down his heel. He had been wearing new shoes, he'd cast aside his sore heels, he'd had more important things to do.

"_There's the bastard,"_ She smirked, relinquishing control over him to cradle and lick his foot.

Sasuke sat, slightly flabbergasted as she purred into his bed, gently licking his foot to keep to flow of blood coming with the chemicals secreted in her saliva.

Then he kicked her in the head.

"Ompfh!" Hinata fell against the bed, her odd weight relinquished when she had started suckling from his foot.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING?!" Sasuke shouted, thoroughly fed up with the girl.

"T-that really hurt," muttered Hinata, "I was only sucking your foot, you n-needn't be so uptight," she sulked, finding solstice in the corner.

"You're in my bedroom, you've broken into my house, you pin me against a wall, start licking me like an animal, only to pull me upside down to start sucking my blood off my foot. You think I'm mad?"

"Y-your just upset that I heard y-you screaming,"

"…get out,"

"No," Hinata snarled, apparently really pissed off. Hinata was hungry. She'd followed him home and had fought herself for supremacy whilst he threw himself around yelling his head off. Then she'd lost it, the red blood she had scented during the walk home slowly drying on the back of the heel and the red mist had grown behind her eyes.

She flicked out a pill from her pocket and threw it into her mouth, sucking it out without savouring, and pulled the empty case from her mouth, saving Sasuke the sight of blood. She had noticed already that he was dabbing his foot with an antiseptic wipe.

He looked up. "It's perfectly normal," he snarled.

Hinata didn't want to get into a bigger fight, so she didn't mention it.

"If you had the bloody thing in your pocket why did you have to hunt me down?!" Sasuke shouted whilst he fixed a plaster from his old first aid kit that laid in the second draw down.

"Pardon t-the pun,"

"Hu- Don't change the subject!"

"T-tastes better fresh," The lie slipped from her lips. She didn't want to discuss her growing attraction to the egotistical boy. Or rather her growing attraction to the blood pulsing through his veins. She decided to change the subject to something much more serious. After all, Uchiha Itachi intrigued her. "Any ideas on how to track down your br-brother?" She casually asked.

"Do vampires have communities of sort? Somewhere they meet where you could get information?" Sasuke asked, heart leaping at the thought of another method of hunting his brother down as he silently praised his genius.

"Ehhhh...Vampires don't tend to meet up... Blood doesn't keep well and i-its hard to keep especially with health and safety...so we don't traditionally have bars, or night-clubs or the such-like. We're not exactly social, least not in the first years of life," Hinata happily chattered, rather pleased that she could so easily change topics.

Sasuke fell again into depression.

"But as we get older...everyone needs someone, we seek each other out...I was always with my family because we were turned together...but people like your brother, he could be in one of the organisations, the s-small cults,"

Sasuke's heart leapt, and Hinata's did the same.

"Could you infiltrate one?"

"My niisan used to be in one. P-possibly he could link up to his old group and s-send out a m-message," They both began to get excited.

"How long would you take doing that?" He refused to excite himself too much in case he was let down again.

"Depends where he is, how e-easy it is to reach...weather he is in one... What should the message be?"

"...Something sensible, but provocative to him, something that'll make him come to me, but I'll be prepared, lik-"

"H-h-how can you be prepared when you- I'm not turning you into a vampire!" She shouted.

"Why?" Sasuke said it like it was no bother.

"You're only supposed to t-turn some-o-one you care about, like...really, really love them! Like Niisan and Ten-Ten-chan! I-it's wrong to su-bmit anyone else for no reason!"

"You have a reason. My revenge,"

"But it's wrong!" She squirmed in the corner and internally Sasuke wondered what it would be like to have her squirming under him. Hinata's face tinged red, "A-and my father would kill me!"

"I don't like that man," Sasuke commented. "He's a bastard,"

"W-which is exactly why father would kill me," Hinata sighed and reclined. "But, I guess...I could prepare you...and see what would happen from that point,"

Sasuke sighed, this sounded tedious.

"**Rule 1) A vampires strength is determined by age and amount of people killed in the last moon cycle. This strength is determined by life as a vampire, not your human life, this is measured in decades. The second strength is additional, and only lasts until the next full moon. The additional strength is the lifeblood of the person or people killed,"**

"**However. As in Itachi's case, there seems to be a third source of power. This power is unknown to me. That's what makes him so dangerous,"**

* * *

His head pounded as the gun was tossed out of his hand by the upward swing of the vampire's hand. How many had this kid killed! Itachi spun on the spot to twist his body as the vampire that had killed so many for the little power it would grant swung his hand again, his hand forming a clawed hand.

He dodged successfully and jumped above him, grasping for the knife concealed by a garter around his ankle. He swung it outwards, noticing it's short length and stubby nature. He awkwardly began to change his usual stance to fit around the weapon.

He jabbed at the boy, certainly no more than twenty. And caught his torso in a moment of chance, ripping the dead skin from his body. Empty entrails dripped onto the floor of the dank and dirty warehouse. The young vampire remained standing, unnerved by his body's betrayal.

He smirked, his upper lip curling at the Uchiha as he instinctively rose his hand to adjust his glasses, only to realise that he no longer wore such a useless contraption.

Then Kisame came from behind, staking the boy from behind with his monster of a sword. The male fell to the ground, stolen blood dripping from his broken lips.

"The kid's name was Kabuto," Kisame mentioned.

"I don't care," mentioned Itachi, waving his hand in dismissal to distract his partner. He needed to deceive the man to convince that the boy was nothing to him.

He already knew his partner was beginning to suspect his dedication to Akatsuki, and needed to prevent that conclusion from becoming speculation.

* * *

"**Rule 2) This is a general food rule. After becoming a vampire, generally you'll be staving because you'll be unconscious whilst you change; this period tends to last from at least three days to something like a week. It's best that you don't attempt to eat solids,**

"**Vampires live off fluid. Solid foods will be rejected by the body. (This is the second rule Sasuke-kun, Don't eat solids.)"**

"So, wait," Sasuke interrupted Hinata "What do you mean by that?"

"Y-you'll vomit, or if your body is slow to react, your body is unable to properly digest the food, s-so... you'll suffer fr-from...c-constpation a-nd wind," Hinata blushed profusely, unwilling to delve further into the subject, "The romantic fiction writers often o-over look that point, a-as I'm sure you are a-ware,"

"Hn" he smirked, trying not to convey his amusement.

"Can I c-continue...?"

"Go ahead" he ordered.

"**Rule 3) There are other demons of the world, such as the sleep demon we encountered. There are no solid rules for inter-racial contact. However, the advice I give is not to interfere in the lives of other demons, it'll backfire,"**

"**Gaara is like a container for a demon. He himself is not the demon, but rather he comes under his influence, almost like a possession. However, you get people...the demon is entirely hidden within, securely locked within the body, I have reason to believe...I should not mention that, he too deserves privacy..."**

Sasuke appeared uninterested.

"**Generally we have hunting grounds; we don't interfere with one another's. That's borderline rude,"**

She came out of her stance, placing a finger on her lips in thought. "It's all basic common sense, I'm s-sure you can figure it all out as you go along, e-especially as y-you'll probably be asked to live in the house for whatever length of time,"

Sasuke listened diligently and sighed, still pondering what power source enabled Itachi his power. Hinata observed his silence.

"Are you stronger for being a vampire?" he asked casually,

The first twenty-four hours, not really, you're surprisingly weak untill you've eaten. After that period, you o-ought to be fine, although," She licked her lips, "Your blood is odd,"

Sasuke felt a shiver go down his spine but continued to look at the girl. "How so?"

"I think you h-have anaemia?"

"Anaemia?" He repeated,

"Y-you're tired, you have dizzy spells, do you have chest or head pains?"

Slowly, as if deciding whether or not to comment he began to nod his head.

"I d-don't think you are eating enough," She smacked her lips together, "L-least, that's what it tastes like,"

"Cheers," muttered Sasuke, just ever so slightly pissed off at Hinata's doctoring skills. "Fucking Fantastic,"

* * *

*NOTE FROM CLUE*

It really killed me to get Hinata acting such a way, but then again, i wanted to show the nasty, vampire-y side of her that enjoys freaking out Sasuke as much as the next Fanfiction reader :P

Hope I didn't annoy you too much :P


	9. Damned

_"He who hesitates is a damned fool."_  
_Mae West_

* * *

The origami rose decoration bobbed up and down on her finely combed navy hair. Her voice was strict but feminine. Perhaps unintentionally she purred seductively into phone, easily realising how she could manipulative the men in her business. Sexuality was a fantastic weapon to wield, and she wielded it with brash pleasure. She clicked the phone lid down, and carefully tucked it into her soft dress.

She turned to report to her partner.

"Orochimaru is dead. The kid that he was possessing is dead too, Itachi and Kisame have taken care of it. They've destroyed everything."

"Good. They have yet to fail an assignment." the orange haired man stated, calm and stoic.

"Neither have the other teams, everything seems to be going to plan, you shouldn't be so negative."

"I'm never disappointed, I assure you." His head twisted to meet her gaze and he presented her a sharp smile. "You should try it my dear."

"I simply cannot be as pessimistic as a man like you, Pein. I've known you too long for your philosophies to affect me"

His studs glinted in the light. "I've known you for far too long too, my dear. Let's hope it remains this way for a far longer time."

Her mouth curved into a smile that was for once, real.

* * *

"Hey, Nii-san, can we have a moment of your time?"

Hinata was so much more confident around her house, Sasuke noted dutifully. He didn't much like this cousin of hers though. He lounged on the sofa with style and grace that Sasuke simply did not possess. This was enough to place Sasuke on edge. His only plausible response was to glower, whilst Hinata's cousin turned and placed his full attention on Hinata and Sasuke.

"Yeah."

"Do you know if there are any local cults or gangs that vampires or any other gatherings of altered that meet in Kohona city?" she asked sweetly.

"Uh, it's a large city, I bet there is a few- probally altered a fair bit since my wild days."

Ten-ten's head popped up from her book "You had wild days?" she asked incredulously.

"Aye my Darling." Neji answered, his face softening "I'm cured now."

"Well…J'ai vachement bien l'espère, as the anglais say." She winked.

Neji smiled, and Hinata watched the exchange with amazement and envy. Sasuke grew impatient behind her, and with the hairs on the back of her head rising in revolt with his distemper, she pressured Neji. "Are there any you would recommend? We're looking for Susuke-kun's brother."

Neji reviewed Sasuke with a lazy eye, and Sasuke stared back, albeit bow-legged, scowling.

Neji turned to Hinata "Really?"

Hinata blushed furiously "Nii-san!"

"I'm sorry if you don't like me. I realise that most people don't. But please help me. It is vital that I find my brother. Listen, because I don't enjoy grovelling. Please?"

Sasuke turned away his ears red, unused to being so humble, and embarrassed, both at his desperation and Neji's superiority.

Neji bowed his head. "Kohona is large- and I've dropped my roots in the gangs I used to run with. Whilst I was never involved in the nasty stuff- I was rifled and upset, and I've never belonged in this house-"

"Nii-san!" Hinata protested.

"No Imouto, you know this to be true. I was one of the branch-house in life, and in death and in your father's eyes, I remain in that same slavery. I will never belong in this house truly. You may accept me fully, and Hanabi-can too, but Uncle? The same tyranny rules this house."

Hinata relented, and pouted towards the door, unable to argue.

"Say, kid- look after Hinata chan if you do go dragging her around these clubs I'll tell you about, okay?" Sasuke nodded as if it was him protecting her. "Good. Well, there are a few around that I have no doubt that'll still be going. "Sound" was highly experimental- groups of scientists playing God from beyond the grave. "Jinchuriki" was demon-centric… "Shiki" was a group that catered to kids and tweens introduced into vampirism, well, they cater for anyone altered - sort of an after-death orphanage. It was very good, and as far as I'm aware, they have national links. It's a worthy cause. There's also "Akatsuki" -they played themselves off as untraceable assassins to the human world. They're in it for the money, but apparently there are a few maniacs in there. Don't worry Ten- I was never involved in that type of dirty work."

Sasuke had a brainstorm "Was the sign of the Sound group?"

"A crotchet beat."

"Was Dr Orochimaru involved, does the name mean anything to you?" Sasuke pushed.

"Fuck, I won't let you get Hinata into that business." Neji froze, showing his disgust for the name.

Hinata interjected "What business Nii-san?"

Neji's eyes darted between the two of them, and Ten-ten sat up from her opposing love-seat, rapt with attention concerning the conversation.

He relented. "Dr. Orochimaru, was alternatively known as "Snake" he was the master-mind of the sound. Originally it was an underground movement, but his developments became foremost in the Vampire community. Blood Pills were just one of his developments. However, he was interested in more... experimental sciences…he's a monster, absolutely. The "Sound" is once again underground after the atrocities conducted, and many of the scientists- and they were good scientists, not involved in the human carnage that Orochimaru developed, left."

A shiver went down Sasuke's spine. How close had he been when he had marched both him and Hinata into the surgery yesterday? What could have happened to them? He would have been responsible. Thank God Orochimaru was dead. But what had Orochimaru's meeting with his brother meant? What had Orochimaru done?

"Could we track down any of the scientists?" Sasuke asked

"There were two that I know of, the big ones, which were just as good as Orochimaru. Jiraya, Tsunade- they are the people you ought to track down. Nowadays I know Jiraya does a lot for "Shiki"- the kid's group. Tsunade-"

"Is the head teacher of my school- Leaf Ladies!- it's not a common name." Hinata interrupted.

Sasuke turned to her. "When could we see her?"

"When the half-term is over it'll be easy to get you into my school, and get you into her office. There has been talk of setting up an outer school charity club, so you could pretend to be a representative from Kohona high. I've never met with her, so I never knew she was a vampire."

"Ah, Tsunade was never a vampire. She's a Harpy."

Sasuke shrugged; genuinely pleased he now had a lead.

Hinata nodded. "I'll go mark up a letter we can send off, I'll be in my room, first on the left. Join me?"

Sasuke nodded, and mentioned to follow her, only to be halted by Neji.

"Hey Kid."

"Yeah."

Neji shifted, his elegant pose altered, but equally elegant, his hair still glossy in the sunlight of the drawing room.

"What's your name?"

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"Right. Let's get a few things straight Uchiha."Hinata's footsteps faded away up the stairs. "I have no intent to allow Hinata to wade into anything that will corrupt her. Any shit that you get Hinata into, I will track you down and double it for you. However." He sighed. "I think I like you."

Sasuke had to prevent himself from pulling his "What-the-fuck-face", though but Neji's paced explanation was so slow, he doubted he pulled it off.

"You're like me. Don't look at me like that, I know what I am talking about. You have a burning ambition, that would be considered wholly insane by others had they no idea what hatred and animosity fuels this ambition. You're just like me. Don't think that Hinata is the only one that's hyper-sensitive. Whereas Hinata can feel the emotions of others and amplify them, so much it affects her, I can feel drive, and what fuel there is. Let me tell you now. Don't let Hinata be corrupted. If you can't look after her, get me. I'll help. Look, Sasuke, you've made yourself an ally."

Humbled, Sasuke bowed his head, heart filled with an emotion almost alien to him, and choked out a thin "Thank you"

"No problem. Now go upstairs, Hinata's waiting."

Sasuke stumbled and fell out of the room, running to Hinata, his usual sharpness numbed by Neji's kindness.

Neji watched him go, and smiled softly to himself.

Ten-Ten moved from her loveseat, and moved to Neji's sofa, placing her arms around him.

"You like him, hrm?... Can you explain this side of you that I obviously have never met before Mister Hyuga… what is your burning desire fuelled by hatred?"

"That my darling, is a dead part of me, better to ignore completely. At one time in my life, I hated the main family, and by that, I mean my uncle and lovely cousins, but that is dead, and I shouldn't worry about it."

"I'm afraid I will worry about the unsaid words you're not telling me, so you'll better tell me anyhow" she breathed onto his neck.

"Of course. I know better than to think you would let this lie, Ten"

"You know me so well." She purred into his ear.

* * *

The half-term had ended, and through his and Hinata's efforts, and the administration staff's reluctance, Sasuke was going to Leaf Ladies to meet Tsunade, the Harpy doctor who had worked with Orochimaru, under the pretention of starting a charity club.

Several girls in expensive uniforms- thick green blazers, customised blouses that were not transparent and had the school logo embroidered over the left breast pocket, plaid shirts that came down over the knee, and thick white stockings, passed by. Sauske was in a heaven of fully clad girls too intimidated by his scowl to approach him, keeping their glances and stares (his only niggle) to a limit. He walked in with them through the main entrance, each girl noting his stature and the way his uniform hung from his slim frame.

Hinata waited for him in the huge courtyard, and with his presence waved wildly, despite the presence of many of her school mates. Perhaps relieved, Sasuke grinned slightly (to grin too much would be murder in this place, full of potential fan-girls), and made his way over.

Hinata took his hand, and for once lead the way, her face turned away, lest he notice her grin. However, it was noted, not only by the well-dressed girls of Leaf Ladies, but also Sakura, who lingered in the group and trembled, close to tears, not knowing why Sasuke was here, or why Sasuke was attached to Hinata's hand.

"Hey, Sakura"

She looked up into the teal eyes of Temari.

He was at Ino's party, you went to Kohona High, you know that hottie?"

"Yeah…" she warbled.

Girls flooded her, essentially grounding her, and preventing her from following Hinata and Sasuke.

* * *

Sasuke was pulled though Leaf Ladies in a daze, only just noticing the vibrant displays and well-kept buildings. Despite the building being a remnant from the building boom in the 70s, the building itself was maintained beautifully, despite the exterior being decidedly ugly, it was surrounded by flora, mainly evergreens that remained bright throughout the year.

Still, the building was probably full of asbestos.

"Looking forr-ward to this Sasuke-kun?"

"I'm hoping a lot will come out today."

She led him into the admin area, and headed to the reception, noticing how much paper-work was piled up, further into the admin area. Past the heads of years. They pulled up into the further reception leading to Headmistresses Tsunade's office.

"Miss Shizune? We have an appointment?"

In her haste Hinata had not dropped Sasuke's hand, and in this time, Sasuke's ears began to burn as he hoped that Hinata would not notice how sweaty his palm was feeling against her soft hand. Without realising it, we squeezed her hand tighter.

Hinata's blush heightened, but the Sasuke holding her hand so tightly, she could not drop it so quickly. She squeezed back to signal him to let go. The response was not heeded.

Shizune fussed, moving her hands around so swiftly from her keyboard, she pulled down a pile of paper-work, scattering it about. She looked up finally, loosing herself in Sasuke's eyes for a moment, before tearing herself away, and then back again.

"The Kohona charity club expansion- yes?"

"Yes Miss." He answered dutifully.

She blushed to match Sasuke and Hinata.

"The Headmistress is happy to see you both now, she has time."

Hianta pulled Sasuke to the door, and paused, Shizune now back to her computer.

They looked at each other.

"Ano-"

"Um-"

"I'll knock" they both said, still holding hands.

They separated themselves, and Sasuke knocked, making the most out of his newly liberated hand.

"Come in." A hoarse voice called.

They entered in file, and found themselves in front of Tsunade.

Tsunade was a busty, blond woman, still young despite the number of letters written behind her name on the door they had just entered through. Probably the harpy blood, Sasuke thought.

"Welcome to LL Mr. Uchiha, please take a seat, both of you." They both did. "I'm glad you've made this proposition, as a school, we are always looking to accentuate the extra-curricular activities of our students, and as of such, this current proposition to-"

"Please, Miss." Sasuke interrupted "There is a more pressing matter I would like to initially address."

Tsunade halted, unused to being interrupted. "Yes?"

"We want to know all about Orochimaru, and what happened to "Sound". This is vital, Miss."

Silence reigned.

* * *

"I had to tell you one day, I hope it sounds better from my lips than anyone elses." Neji purred back.

"It'll sound better Baby, it'll sound better"

"It won't. I promise you." He canoodled into her ear, her body firmly against his. "We, as a family, were turned all at the same time. 1604, very early Edo period, still at unease with our new rulers, not quite cumulating in the relative peace that the Edo period brought for Japan. Just imagine the Hyugas, specifically, Uncle. Strong, stick in the mud types. And powerful, extraordinarily powerful, especially in the ruthless game of politics. And imagine, again, what troubles that may cause for our new rulers, the family too swarmy to be knocked out by the recent rebellion. How much more freedom would they have if the Hyuga dynasty suddenly disappeared off the map. It was a far more ruthless time then darling, and they got away with it too. The Hyuga lineage disappeared overnight.

The group earlier, "Akatsuki" the dodgy one, the assassins, were the ones that came for us. They normally pair up one mad one, ready to massacre, and one sane but sick bastard to keep the insane one in check. The mad freak murdered his partner in the frenzy to kill, and came for us. It's easy to turn someone if you are careful, like I was with you darling, but he did it, and savoured it, so it became a Russian roulette, over who would die, and who would survive. There were over one hundred Hyugas in our compound, and four made it out with a second life. I believe wholly that he got tired. When he got to us, and I was hiding with the girls, he could only muster up a sharp nip between us- we were in the higher rooms, and I attempted to protect the girls. I may not have liked them, but I was in some way responsible for them, and they were smaller and terrified of the screams.

I armed myself with a samurai sword (a decoration) and was taken first. I was gone then, and we do not talk about it. Who it was next, Hinata or Hanabi, I do not know. It made no difference.

Uncle came out because he was so strong. Me and the girls, we were one of the last. Uncle was one of the first, and when he came to, he was in extraordinary pain. Hinata's tending and healing powers revealed herself to him then, even though he may never show it and even she may not know, he is so proud of her and Hanabi. He is still tyranical, still used to the way things ought to be rather than how they are now, and he still sees me as a member of the branch household, but that day has passed. He is a far stronger man than he was in life.

Back then you see, it was a disgrace to not have a male heir, and despite being a branch house, it looked like it would go to me, as I was expected to marry Hinata. Hinata was forced into heiress duties, learning how to become a beautiful woman, how to look to the house, yet she took on male classes too- as an heir she needed to read and write and needed to know history and how to play politics. At one time they were preparing her to seduce whoever came into power next. There was a huge rivalry between Hanabi and Hinata because of their birth. If Hanabi excelled her sister, maybe Hanabi could choose her own husband, or would win her father's good graces. It was a bad house to be in, and malcontent hung in the air.

I hated them because by destiny was stuck, and I was unable to free myself. My Father, Uncle's twin brother, was dead, due to a bad political decision on Uncle's part. I was to marry my gormless cousin, who had yet to bloom into the person she is today, and to produce children with a woman I hated, only for them to be brainwashed into Hyuga ideology. I was a slave fighting the system.

We had to escape together, disappear into the snowy mountains that surrounded our compound. No-one ever came for us, and we barely survived, wreaked by our ghoulish need to drink blood. The early days were hard and savage, but nothing draws a family closer that a shared ill, and our vampirism drew us together, though I have always sought to escape my bond. It took me a long time to realise, my bond was no longer as a slave, but instead as a brother.

Are you content now my darling?"

"Quite sweetheart." She murmured, caressing his face. "Quite."

* * *

*Note from Clue*

I bet I've surprised a fair few of you by updating this now , but these thoughts have been malingering and developing further, and I got to a stage where I wanted to complete this (finally!). I hope you've noticed some development in my style from the last few chapters (which I may revamp, there are parts that need to be better written, and altered, but noting that will change the story-line).

D'accord, reviews are appreciated, and I'll attempt to return them. Cheers for reading this far.


	10. Hunt

"_I wouldn't hunt a person down for food. But if he were already dead…"__  
_**Yasmine Bleeth**

* * *

Temari was just polishing her own dinner off, her stomach still growling for more. For a moment she considered tucking into a sugary dessert, desserts that were kept aside normally for her brothers, especially Gaara, who tended to over-eat, despite his thin gangly frame. Temari dreaded to think about what alien forces reigned supreme within Gaara's body, digesting such high amounts of food.

She and her brother, Kankuro, who had now escaped the house for the most part (but still returned when hungry, having successfully received a scholarship to art-school within the city) had allways grown up knowing there was something bizarre to do with their brother, and that had something to do with their mother.

Gaara was brought up with their uncle, Yashamaru. They had seen him, from time to time, but he was just a shy kid, who hid behind Uncle Yashamaru's legs and flinched when you tried to talk to him. Then came the news of Uncle's death, and then, Gaara moved into the house.

The animosity between Father and Gaara was horrendous. At the time, Temari had believed that Gaara blamed Father for Yashamaru's death. She didn't know until Father's funeral that it was the other way round.

When she realised, she was terrified, as was Kankuro. Gaara could smell it, she swore.

And that made him hate them all the more, even so that he would pull violent fits within his room, where she would have no idea what was going on, but knew something was wrong. There were things, things she had seen out of her eye and around the house, layers of sand, whispers of movement out of the corner of her eye, looks and faces that fell over Gaara's face that were not his.

She wasn't stupid nor naive. She could conclude something wasn't right, and it was better not to push whatever that it was.

Thank God she had Shikamaru. The lazy bastard was the only thing that was good in her life.

She looked up, over to the fridge, where she knew that cakes and sweets were kept, chilled. She smiled to herself, almost smirking. She had worked hard and eaten healthily to gain her athletic figure. She wasn't going to wallow in self pity and relent now. Anyhow, if she dragged Shikimaru skinny dipping again, she had to make sure she was in tip-top condition.

Where was her cell. She needed to text the man and remind him how lucky he was to have her…

Three short raps fell upon the front door, she jumped in surprise. The knocks sounded again, impatient. Obviously not Shikimaru then. She sauntered out of the kitchen and went up the hallway, opening the door, but keeping the chain on, just in case.

"Hey, you're Gaara's sis right?" Smiled a handsome blond whiskered guy, with a huge mouth, and slightly wonky nose. Temari recognised him slightly from the party where the handsome dark guy and a tiny girl had fallen in the pool into the sick. Probably drunk.

"Y-yeah?"

"Can he come out tonight? Is it all right with you? "

This was unknown. Never had Gaara been asked out before. Never.

"S-sure. Uh… I'll go get him." She ran up the stairs, too shocked to open the door the blond boy, but leaving the door open, though the chain held. Naruto remained out of doors, his hands in his pockets.

She knocked on Gaara's door, too stunned to be scared, and Gaara popped his head out. This was abnormally surreal in how normal this interaction was.

"There's a friend for you outside." She said breathlessly.

"A friend?" His eyes narrowed.

"Yeah- uh, the bloke who you talked to at Ino's party, yeah?"

"Oh… Naruto. Cool." Gaara emerged from his room, less lethargically than usual. He walked past, and headed for the stairs, more enthusiastically than Temari had ever seen him.

He turned back, and Temari's stomach flipped for a moment, her stunned nature dispersing with every moment that Gaara's eye's ransacked her own.

"Cheers for the dinner Temari… I really enjoyed it. It was good tonight. What was it?"

"Toad-in-the-hole. With peas. And mashed potato"

"Can we have it tomorrow night? It was really good?" He asked hopefully.

"You'll get fat."

"Next week then?"

"…I'll make it next week." She started, glad that her brain was still functioning enough to converse.

"Cool. Can I stay out late?"

"…Sure."

"Cool. See you later, if not, tomorrow."

"…Yeah."

Gaara stalked down the stairs, and Temari watched him leave, open mouthed and glassy eyed. Her legs gave way underneath her, and she sagged against the wall.

* * *

"Yo." Naruto smiled, callous and cool.

"Hey," Garra lifted the chain, and let himself out. "Temari says I can stay out for as long as I want."

"Your sis is a babe."

Gaara disregarded him. "She makes good toad-in-the-hole. She has a boyfriend anyhow."

"Shikimaru yeah?"

"Yeah. Why do you want to see me?"

"There's a group I go to, a place that's helped me, like, a huge amount. I think they could help you. I don't know if they could give you a cure, but hell, this could help. A lot."

Gaara felt the pulling of hope, and gawped open-mouthed at Naruto.

"I've been going for ages…" Naruto explained. "Everyone's the same as us there. You'll fit in. It'll be cool. The group's name is "Jinchuriki". There's a guy there, this old pervert Jiraya, that'll show you round- he normally helps out kids, but he's come to us recently- I met him when I was younger when I was in the kids group, and he helped me get to the other demons. He's really cool, and he's said you sounded like the prime person the group needed to get out to. You'll come?"

"…yeah" said Gaara, his increasing heartbeat and breath seeming to overpower any sound than he could make.

* * *

"Please Miss?" Hinata pleaded.

The acting Headmistress sat, shocked, he lips pursed and unmoving, her eyes full of thunderous anger, so much so the air around her crackled. Outside, the wind howled and scratched the evergreen flora outside against the window, only emplifying the silence of the office. Harpy blood, thought Sasuke.

"Miss Tsunade! Sasuke's brother disappeared. We have to find him. We know there is some connection between him and Orochimaru. We just don't know what. Please, help us."

Tsunade pulled her head up, eyes blazing. "A kid like you- like him? Orochimaru'll do things to your bodies that you would have never thought possible, and he'll be welcome for the free, healthy samples. I hear the samples he has to deal with nowadays are far less healthy. I wouldn't hold much hope for your brother, boy." She spat.

"Good thing Orochimaru's dead."Sasuke glowered.

For a moment Tsunade was blatantly and obviously shocked, her eyes widened, her lip dropped. A hand that looked far more aged than her face and bosom rose to her forehead, and cradled it. "Hyuga?"

"Hai?"

"The files over there? The Winnie the pooh ones?"

"Yes."

"They're a cover. My booze is kept there. I want the whisky and green shot glass."

Hinata looked shocked, but did as she was told, and pottered over, and helped herself to the booze hidden within the cubby-hole, out of the many unfamiliar bottles.

She placed it down in front of Tsunade, and the headmistress eagerly helped herself to the drink. Sasuke was not impressed.

"How did he die?"

"Stabbed to death by a teenage lover. Male, if you were wondering." Tsunade took a shot.

"…So what's the connection to your brother, kid?"

Sasuke sighed. "My brother's name is Uchiha Itachi. He disappeared a few years ago- What is it?"

Sasuke noticed that what little colour had been brought back by the whisky now drained out of Tsunade's face, leaving her face a pasty white. She looked scared now.

"You're Itachi Uchiha's little brother." She said it like she didn't want to believe it. He eyes scanned over his face with a new vigour.

Sasuke shrank, knowing that every imperfection and facial feature was now in direct comparison to Itachi's.

"I never met your brother directly…by the head-shots on his files, you're similar looking. Of course, you're far more alive that he was…"

"How did you know of my brother?" pushed Sasuke.

"…I was involved with the scientific endeavour, known as the "Sound". At the time, it was something representing hope for the altered community- we developed the blood pill, and helped set up groups to help others in the vampire community- ever hear of "Jinchuriki"? Another group implemented by "Sound"- We thought we could be Gods." Tsunade sighed. "I was involved with genetic inheritances, it had been noted that within families, there were genes that only activated in vampirism. My research was indicating- I left due to the fall of Orochimaru, and never completed this work, but my research indicated that some genes only activated after vampirism was induced. This meant families gained similar supernatural abilities."

"Like mine and Neji's abilities, our sensory skills." Hinata gasped.

Tsunade looked down at the tiny girl. "I would have never have guessed Miss Hyuga. I'm afraid if I ever get back into research, I'll have to pester your family for samples."

"Oh- but of course Miss, but, Ano-" Hinata shot a guilty look at Sasuke, who was sitting, impatient.

"Yes. Let's talk about Itachi." Tsunade took another shot. "Itachi was a favourite. We had complete samples from him, and we had a comparison point- an older relative who was also a vampire, though was so old that we did not have human DNA. If you become a vampire Mr. Uchiha, you'll be burgeoning with a further strength, beyond that of normal vampires. It's a family trait, and that older Uncle had the same trait. However- you noticed how unhappy I was when I heard of Itachi. He's dangerous. He's a murder. By the way you're looking at me kid, I don't have any doubt that you know that. Ever hear about a group called "Akatsuki"? Assassins, madmen, psychopaths?" Sasuke nodded, and Hinata gasped. "Yeah. Itachi- deep in the enemy's council. He's Akatsuki."

A silence followed, and Tsunade licked her lips, savouring the alcohol still present. "I think you have my pound of flesh for today. You can leave now." She stated, blunt.

Hinata scrambled from her chair, but Sasuke remained seated. "How to I contact this group?"

"They contact you. I'm a scientist, and I destroyed my files, burnt my bridges. I have no idea how to contact your brother, and neither do I have the means."

Sasuke relented, and stood to leave, pacing his way out of the room, following Hinata's fleeing profile.

"Hey kid." Sasuke turned, and Tsunade gave his face another scathing look. "You look like your brother. You'll have the same genetic disposition. Trust me."

Sasuke walked off, more disgruntled by this than comforted. That harsh presence that he had felt and Hinata had feared when they he had last seen his brother- Was that the Uchiha inheritance?

They walked past the reception and Shizune into empty hallways, eerie almost in their silence.

Sasuke contemplated. He needed that power to pose a threat to Itachi. However, Hinata would have to turn him first, and he would have to get her to do so, and they didn't know how to track down Akatsuki, and even if they did track this gang down. There would be no guarantee that he would survive the gang to manage to defeat his brother.

He almost shook with anger. He knew that this would always be hard, but his under-estimation just seemed to jar him to the extent where he wished that he could just give up. It was so much work.

He sighed. Hinata sniffled beside him. His attention turned to her. She was crying, her face covered by her hands, walking as uniformly as possible. She sniffed again, and wiped away the snot that had discharged from her nose.

"Hinata…"

She wiped her face once more, scrubbing herself red, and turned away disgraced, her face concealed. "I'm not scared Sasuke-kun. Least not of your big brother- but.. but-" she broke down, her face crumpling into an unknown mesh that Sasuke hardly recognised.

The dark boy once again found himself disputing what action had to be taken to halt this crying, and before he knew it, his arms were wrapped around Hinata's tiny, shaking body, every hiccup echoing against his chest. Her hands reached up, and clenched at his school jumper.

They were so close he could feel the rim of her bra jutting from the yielding softness of her body, yet he did not blush, nor did his ears go red. Every waking moment from the day when he met Hinata at the café had lead to now, and this closeness that was alien to him and her alike, was by now the most natural thing in the world.

He moved his hand upwards, and stroked the back of her head, admiring the length of her hair, and appreciating the glossiness and texture.

She looked up, and her milky white eyes swallowed his reflection, glossed with tears. "Akatsuki." She whispered.

"Akatsuki." He replied, his tone dark and serious.

"I want to go to your place." She whispered, almost too scared by her thoughts to continue talking. "I want to get away. Can you take me there?"

He squeezed her tighter. "Of course. Of course."

* * *

They settled on his bed in the storeroom closet Sasuke considered a bedroom, and there was a tension present, though neither would acknowledge it, yet.

Hinata flicked back her hair, and Sasuke took the opportunity to admire her profile- her pink lips, her button nose, her long dark eyelashes. He relented and said, half sighing- "Akatsuki?"

Hinata nodded. "I-I've been involved before."

"You'll talk?"

"Of course."

She flopped back onto his bed (which luckily, he had made that morning), and resting her head on his pillow began to talk.

"You're going to judge me, and judge me terribly. All I can say Sasuke, is that… it was a different time then. A harder time, a crueller time. I was never free until I died, and during that freedom that was offered to me, I had to do things, things that will disgust you… and during that time- shall I start from the beginning? It'll be easier, for you and me both.1604. I was sixteen, and I remain so today. The Edo period had begun. Peace and prosperity would flourish eventually. The Hyuga family had flourished, and was so powerfully connected that it had managed to remain steadfast, even in the state of family made enemies, and one of those men, who Father played shogi and smoked with, and I had danced for, had decided that the eradication of the Hyuga family furthered their own prospects. Akatsuki was hired."

"Akatsuki killed you?"

"Akatsuki saved my life."

Sasuke looked perturbed, and Hinata smiled at his expression, with all the writ of knowing what he did not know.

"Me and Neji made a pact. I promised not to break it, but I suppose I've lied now. Neither Father nor Hanabi knows of what happened to me that day. I doubt Neji has told Ten-ten the truth. Perhaps if I tell you, I'll finally move on."

"If we do this together and now- hunt down my brother I mean, we'll go off and try to live our own life. You were talking about Austria weren't you- when we first met? I want to learn how to ski, least, I've only ever dry slope skied before."

Hinata smiled. "I'll take you… I'll look forward to it."

A silence entered the room for a moment, but Hinata ushered on its exit.

"It was an abysmally hot summer, but the day I died was incredibly humid. It had rained torrentially the night before, and the day was still early, and there was still dew on the grass. I was up early, practising a new dance Father wanted me to perfect for an ambassador who may have replaced Neji as my fiancé.

Neverless, I was practising. I was a weak child, and a weaker adolescent, and the simplest dances would leave me panting. I was prone to faints, and panic attacks, and I stuttered awfully, and that is something I have never freed myself from. I pushed myself so hard… on that morning; I was bathed in sweat, and red and sticky and raw. Neji walked in. I halted immediately. The Hyuga Hime was supposed to be a woman of immaculate beauty beyond such thing as practise. To be seen in the presence of a branch member in that state was the most dishonourable, the worst thing possible. Like I said. It was another time.

We talked, and I tidied myself, so if anyone did come in, I would be presentable. We talked about average things, the weather, Hanabi, and then I asked him to leave, he defied me. Yeah. He made this odd, _eeeyuuu_ noise- yeah, sort of whistled and sighed it out. Then he started to talk to me really, really quickly. He was half shouting at one point, and crying too. He was talking about how he had to marry me if he wanted a free life, how he needed to inherit for his Father's memory, how he hated my Father.I-I didn't know what to do, so I tried to comfort him, so I went up to him, and he pushed me down. Neji said that my Father would marry me to the ambassador, unless I convinced him otherwise. All I did then was look down and say that I would do anything Father would ask of me.

So Neji battered me over the head to death with a ornamental sword that Father kept in the training room. I wasn't dead when he left, but I blacked out. I can remember his footsteps…

I heard he was very valiant in attempting to protect Hanabi, I have no doubt that he was with her because he intended to kill her too, but was beaten to the chase. Neverless, when I woke up, I woke up to my saviour, my master. The member of Akatsuki. He could do no wrong. The vampire you are bitten by secretes hormones that normally keep his new victims attracted to them, for a period of ten, twelve years. Oh yes Sasuke, that'll happen to you. It's a protective impulse, so I keep you close and teach you the tricks of the trade.

I would have followed him to the ends of the earth, but he never saw me as anything more than just entertainment. That's why he brought Neji along. I found out much later that my Master was witness to everything, how he ushered in my death and turned me, and Neji, and kept us both, for entertainment. Murderer and victim, contained together, so that we had no choice but to keep and trust one another. We promised to never talk of the things he made us do- the assassinations, the genocides. But I will say, during that time… all we had were one another, me and Neji, we were all we had left of each other's humanity. For that time we were lovers. You're judging me now, you're wondering how I could be so weak as to allow my killer to become my lover."

Sasukes face displayed no outward emotion, but he nodded curtly.

"He was the one weakened. It was my revenge to taunt him so. I think we were both so horrified by what we had become… it was our personal Guernica... After we left, all we had to do was ask our master. He only said that he had expected us to ask earlier and bed us farewell. We went back to the Hyuga house, and found Hanabi and Father hidden in the secret places of the house, and during that time, we decided we could not be together still. Our torment was over, and so was our affair.

Father and Hanabi never knew. Maybe Neji will tell Ten-ten, but I doubt it. Neji acts as if it never happened. I don't blame him…when Father first saw me… he cried, and begged me for forgiveness, and I knelt and kissed his head, and like that my life, my second life with my re-invigorated family began. Is your curiosity quenched Sasuke?"

Sasuke contemplated, his brows drawing low over his eyes. "What was the name of the akatsuki member…"

"Madara." Answered Hinata, closing her eyes and reclining, almost humming the name. "Master Madara"

"Oh" said Sasuke, reclining beside her lithe body "No-one important then. Cool."

* * *

*Note from Clue*

Hey :) All I shall say is that shit is going to go down, and that I am actively wondering how you all feel about Neji now- :P


	11. Death

"A dying man needs to die, as a sleepy man needs to sleep, and there comes a time when it is wrong, as well as useless, to resist."  
**Stewart Alsop**

* * *

There was something wrong, something incredibly wrong. The tension in the air was lax, far too lax. Itatchi looked around, wary he may be observed by his fellow assassins, though he had little doubt his saner colleagues were doing the same.

All the Akatsuki members consigned to meet together in one location. All meetings were kept long distance , and even then, in secret locations. Whoever had organised this had organised this meeting in a popular hotel in the middle of Kohona's business district was frankly insane or a genius, dependant on what outcome they needed.

A maid bobbed in, full uniform, carrying a bottle of champagne and a platter of expensive champagne flutes. If there was to be a brawl, Itachi hated to think how much the hotel had to loose. The champagne looked expensive too.

"Courtesy of the House." She smiled, and bobbed out of the room. Itachi doubted she would have been so chirpy had she known she was really serving.

Nobody touched the champagne. Obviously, the thought that this was a conspiracy to get Akatsuki in one place to murder them all was running through all the members' thoughts. Whilst the group was analysing the champagne, Itachi took the time to quickly analyse who was present, and who was not. Obviously, poison wasn't an issue as much as the threat of slowing their reactions, and making themselves easy targets.

Zestu, looking remarkably normal for a plant spirit, having disguised himself, Kisame, Hidan, Pain, Konan,Kakuzu. Deidara was also present, though Sasori was not. All in formal attire, though blatantly still carrying weapons.

"Fuck it! When am I next going to get the chance?" Deidara cursed and made his way to the drink, popped the champagne open, and helped himself to the drink.

He neither collapsed nor started to choke, and the others watched him take two before joining.

"Well…if it's free" Kazuku mused, and helped himself.

Itachi was surprised that Kazuku didn't attempt to take the entire bottle. Although Itachi had never acted in liaison outside of his partnership (and that was unheard of in Akatsuki), several snide comments during previous meetings had impressed upon Itachi how tight-fisted the zombie was.

Eventually, everyone had attached themselves to a flute, and Itachi even found himself in possession of one, sipping the champagne. It wasn't bad, though he must make sure not to drink too much- it may dampen his reactions more than a normal poison would.

There was one more flute left, probably for Sasori. He found himself exchanging pleasantries with Deidara, and asked after Sasori.

"Bastard died on me. I hope my next rotational partner is better." Deidara chirped, only to be drawn into a discussion about sculpture by Konan, who did something in that line.

So the extra flute was not for Sasori… another person was to join the Akatsuki tonight, perhaps even a new partner for Deidara.

Having come to a conclusion, Itachi composed himself further, and entered a conversation between Hidan and Pein, who were debating the power and appropriate presence of pain when extracting confessions or torturing. Fun.

* * *

"Hey" Sasuke said, if only to break the silence that encapsulated the two of them.

Hinata stared into his eyes, so close to his, and sighed, a long contented sigh that ended in a soft smile, and her small hand reaching down to take his in her palm. She pulled his hand up, and whilst it formed a barrier between their faces, their hands fitted together perfectly, his pale skin looking practically olive in comparison to Hinata's whiteness.

"Do you think we could be like Neji and Ten-ten, Sasuke?"

"We'll surpass them by miles." Sasuke replied, confident.

Hinata giggled, and dropped their hands downwards, so their entwined hands rested on the pillow. Hew pink lips were visible just over them, and on milky eye peeped out from her lopsided fringe.

"Sasuke?"

"Hai?"

"You can kiss me. Should you want to..."

Sasuke's breath hitched, for a moment, and a moment after Hinata could have thought she had imagined that sudden intake, had she not had the ability to feel Sasuke's emotional static-storm playing havoc with her own emotions.

"I might not be very good." He confessed. "I don't make a habit of kissing."

"Remember that t-time you accidently grabbed my left breast? What were you making a habit out of there?" Hinata slyly remarked.

Sasuke grinned, but at the same time, rolled onto his front and closer to her, propping himself with his arms, and wiggling until his head was vertically above hers. They were even closer than before, and despite their constant closeness today, Sasuke found a light dusting of pink tint rising within his cheeks.

All too familiar with blushing, and unwilling for Hinata to see, he bent his neck and kissed her, meeting her cold lips, and feeling their gradient alter to accommodate a smile that pressed against his.

He relinquished. If there was such a thing as an experimental kiss, then that was it. Hinata interrupted his rambling thoughts with a sly giggle, and glanced back up to him, propping herself up with her elbows.

"We'll need to do better then, to outstrip Neji and Ten-ten." She teased, and before Sasuke could falter in light of her taunting, she placed her little palm on the side of his face, and drew him in closer, till their lips touched once again, and instead of remaining clean and closed, as she had the first time, she took the lead, opening her mouth slightly, and allowing him to take initiative, and open his mouth and enter into her mouth.

They kissed for a long time then, slower and more tenuous that either would have liked, but both were too shy to alter their positions until they broke apart, and with a gasp of suddenly sparse air, Sasuke took her lips with and urgency and passion that shook Hinata, until she too was subject to the same desperate urge, and returned every tangle and wrestle his tongue could offer, wrapping her arms around him, and grasping tufts of his hair.

She shifted until they were both kneeling, and leant into him, her breasts pressing into his chest, and him, so unused to this type of contact, his hands floundered, not knowing where to place them.

Hinata broke apart from him, and in one lithe moment pinned his hands to her buttocks, and whispered in his ear "Feel free to roam," before returning to lavish great attention to his mouth. Startled slightly, he caught on quickly, and followed her orders suspiciously well.

Clumsy, teenage fumbling ensued, the only noises filling the apartment being their moans, sighs and laughter.

* * *

Konan, obviously wishing to curry favour with members so that she may use them later, had ordered another large bottle of champagne, and the Akatsuki members were throwing caution to the wind and enjoying themselves. The last member hadn't arrived yet, and his glass remained untouched, though Diedara had mentioned, loudly, that it was one of the many things in the conference room he could extract explosive chemicals from given a matter of days, and a few hundred chemicals.

Itachi sighed into his drink. Last one, even if it was just a bubbly.

"It's nearly time. Can all members please sit down, so we can get to business." Pein gestured everyone over to the conference table.

The members were obedient, though Kisame made a point of moving the bottle to the middle of the conference table. There were no objections.

"This meeting has been called so we can all profile our current situations, and attempt to relieve any concerns, that members may have." Itachi called Bullshit.

The meeting progressed forward, with the obvious questions where Kazuki questioned what profit margin he was keeping, and why, with his dedication to the group, it wasn't increasing. Deidara wanted a new partner and more terrorism, less espionage missions. Hidan wanted more recreational time for private endeavours whereas Zestu wished for a more plant friendly headquarters, preferably one with a less acidic soil base. Kisame wanted more missions and when called Itachi said he was perfectly happy with the way things were being run. During this time, Konan took notes, whilst Pein smiled and nodded as if their input was valued.

Perhaps these notes were being taken to see who could be goaded into doing more missions, or higher profile missions with these rewards. That sounded about right.

Eventually, after Konan giving a presentation on current rates and the possible expansion of the group, ie, using official underlings, which was vetoed. Pein licked his lips, something that to a trained eye like Itachi, was a marker of extreme nervous emotion.

"Finally, we have to introduce our final member. He… appears to have not made it tonight. He will be in partnership with Deidara and expressed an interest in meeting us all. Perhaps later-"

The door opened and a matronly maid escorted a man in. He had hair that was just as dark as Itachi's, though the stranger was far less sleek, and clumped together in short outcrops. An orange mask obscured his face, clashing with his formal wear, like all the akatsuki members.

The maid turned to the stranger. "All good now? Are you okay here?" To which the stranger gave a curt nod, and turned to the table, taking a seat, and obviously glancing around at the other members, his actions short and jerky.

The maid left.

"Ah" Pein licked his lips again, alerting Itachi's suspicions. "Can you please explain your absence?"

The stranger cocked his head sideways, as if he did not understand.

"I'm not having him." Stated Deidara, crossing his arms.

The stranger swung his head to look at Deidara, and then back to Pein. "I got lost getting here." He said, in a small little voice.

The other members looked on in disbelief, though Itachi noted, even Konan was giving the stranger a ludicrous look. Pein licked his lips.

"There is no way in hell I'm dragging him around" voiced Deidara.

"Bu-but, I thought Senpai and Tobi were going to be friends! Pein-sama, Pein sama said that we'd be together!" Cried the stanger.

Deidara turned his gaze onto Pein, his upper-lip curling. "What. The. Fuck?"

* * *

Hinata scrambled against him, her bare skin lying beside his. Smiling with all the arrogance of Caesar, Sasuke wrapped his arm around her body, which he had thoroughly explored, and almost fell asleep, with his conquest in arms. He turned to her, hoping her expression was in the same state as his was.

But Hinata was far too agitated to be in post-coital bliss. Instead she stared into the distance (or at least, into his mirror). Sasuke knew now that when she frowned, something large was bothering her, and she was so concentrated on that thought that she didn't even realise she was frowning and try to cover it up.

He elbowed her, surprising himself with his informality.

"Something's up?"

She nodded, her lips pressed in a thin line. She broke her stare to look at him.

"If I turn you, you won't be able to have children. Your line will end, as will the name Uchiha."

Sasuke hadn't thought of that, and he paused, unsure of what he should do. He severely doubted in his ability to kill Itachi unless he was physically at the same level as him, and that required being a vampire. However, his family name was important too. His death would ensure there would be no more little Uchihas populating the earth, and even so, this was almost like choosing certain sterilisation.

"I could donate sperm before I died, ergo the bloodline, if not the name will continue."

"You'll have to wait until you're older. You're only what, seventeen?"

Sasuke, impatient as always, pursed his lips until he was wearing the same expression as Hinata.

"My family is dead. I'm impatient to avenge them… I'm more likely to die in the attempt that to survive, and I …want you. You can't have children, so we won't. If I'm alive, I still carry my family name. I'm willing to sacrifice this to get him. And for us too."

Sasuke contemplated whether this was the right thing to say. Whereas it sounded very mature tumbling out of his mouth here and now, with the life that he could find himself living- him and her, together for eternity, who was to know that he might regret in the future.

He sighed, and Hinata placed her hands on his chest, and lavished attention on his lips, suckling upon his bottom lip.

"Do you want this?" She asked

"Yes."

She retracted from his mouth. "Have you eaten much food or drink in the last twenty-four hours? You're literally going to lose it all…"

Sasuke blanched, remembering what she had told him before about a vampire's eating problems. This was going to be beyond embarrassing.

"Only a little."

"That's so bad for your anaemia." She scowled. "Where are the toilets and where does keep towels and umm…" She forgot for a second "Hot water bottles?"

Sasuke detailed where all the utilities were kept, and made to get off the bed. Hinata's hands pressed down upon him.

"D-do you think you'll have any regrets?"

"Perhaps I will, but I think this is the right choice. We'll see."

Hinata smiled, and pecked his lips, and the massaging them with hers, until he moved in the same rhythm. She smiled, and broke the kiss, laying her head against his chest, and listening to his heart.

_Bad-ump, Bad-ump, Bad-ump, Bad-ump, Bad-ump…_

His breath stifled. He was getting scared now, and his hands shook a little as they held Hinata. Hinata attempted to memorise this. His irregular breathing, his human scent (a heavy lingering wood) and his warmth. She sighed.

She placed butterfly kisses along his jaw and chin, resting over his jugular, savouring this moment, for it would never happen again. His hands constricted, holding her tighter against him. His eyes were squeezed shut, and his face contorted. Hinata unsheathed her fangs.

Hinata bit into him, as gently as possible, and with that penetration he squeezed her tighter and tighter, until her fangs were fully covered by his skin, and she released the neuro-toxins, immobilising Sasuke until his grasp faltered and became lax, his body paralysed. Realising that this was probably the worst moment for him- his lack of control over his own body must have been frankly, terrifying, she released the deadly secondary serum.

She had to fight nature and instinct to release the serum rather than drink his blood, and she unclenched her jaw, and retracted, her teeth slightly bloody.

Licking her fangs, she moved back to the position onto his naked chest.

_Bad-ump, Bad,-ump, Bad-, Bad-, bud… bud,…bud-..._

His heart had faltered. She heard him gasp, but by the time she had looked at his face, his eyes had closed, and his face had slackened out of that frown.

Perhaps it was that glower that had put her off him when they had first met. Without it, and even with his skin paling, it was obvious he was handsome. She stroked his face, to which there was no response.

She took his pulse, and was relieved to find it had stopped fully.

Twenty-four hours. Small enclosed space, limited towelling, bed covers that couldn't be soiled & a naked Sasuke Uchiha, who would be dead to the world.

Hinata was going to have fun keeping this hidden from Kakashi.

* * *

*Note from Clue*

Hi. Well, it's finally happened, and at the same time, the Akatsuki were having a booze-up :P If anyone's interested in the lemon scene, just note me, and I'll send it to you :) (It was just that I wanted to keep this a T rating, and whereas 16+ is legal here in the UK, other countries are far more scrupulous.

Thank you for reading :)


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